Obituary

George Edward Gumbrecht, Colonel United States Air Force Retired, and Executive Director, Information Technology, Orange County Office of Education Retired, died of cancer at his Irvine home on April 7, 2023, aged eighty-seven.

Survivors include his beloved wife of 66 years Susan (Glasgow), sons George David and Lora (Hand), Edward and Mary (Shank) of Orange County, California, and daughter Annalisa of New Mexico.  His grandchildren are Michael (Nicole), Tyler (Cienna), Matthew, and Emily Gumbrecht.  Madeleine Wilson (Ryan) is the mother of Andrew, George’s favorite and only great-grandchild.

A memorial service and reception will take place at 10 a.m. on May 1, 2023, at O’Connor Mortuary.   A military burial ceremony will follow at 2 p.m. at Riverside National Cemetery.

George was a native of New York.  Dr. Charles Maggio, his uncle, delivered him to parents George Leonard Gumbrecht and Madeline (Saxe) Gumbrecht in Rochester.

He attended Catholic schools, graduating in the 1953 class of Aquinas Institute, then a boys-only school.  He lettered on sports teams and as a member of the band.  On weekends he earned money as trumpet player with a trio of school friends.  After graduation he moved to California and earned an AA degree at Santa Ana College, living with his sister Christine Eidman and her family. Later George received a BS in Mathematics through the Air Force Bootstrap Program at Colorado State University, Fort Collins and an MA in Management at Webster College, Saint Louis, Missouri.

As a boy his frequent bicycle rides to the airport to watch the plane traffic, a tealeaf reading by his Irish grandmother Rose Morgan that revealed a rifle-carrying soldier, and an admiration of his cousin’s World War II dress uniform led to George’s ambition to serve in the armed forces.  He achieved that ambition when he enlisted in the Air Force Aviation Cadet Program, trained as a navigator, and began his career as a Second Lieutenant at Harlingen Air Force Base, Texas.  Subsequent stateside assignments included California, Colorado, Illinois and Oklahoma and overseas assignments in Bermuda, Japan, and Thailand. He retired as Commander of the Communications Computer Programming Center at Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma. He then started his civilian career in information technology as Network Manager at the Los Angeles Office of Education and he retired from the Orange County Office of Education in 2002.

His offbeat sense of humor was evident in the truly groanworthy limericks and quirky comic drawings that he shared with his children.

George was always loyal to his family and friends.  He was a gifted athlete, hopeful golfer, talented chef, enthusiastic traveler, music lover, and trumpet player.  He was an officer and a gentleman.