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Age 82, peacefully left the loving arms of his family at his Dexter, Michigan home on May 18, 2022. George was born on February 29, 1940 to George and Nellie (Kuzyk) Lewis in Detroit Michigan. He was raised in Dearborn where he graduated from Fordson High School in 1958. He attended Wayne State University on a full music scholarship. George was a talented drummer and played with various bands throughout the 1960’s.  George fell in love with and married Mary Louise Hersman in September of 1960, and they had three children before Mary Lou’s untimely death at the age of 34. Undaunted, George married Barbara Cooper in 1975 and Jacquelyn Bailey in 1987. Both marriages ended in divorce, but George cherished the good relationship he had with his stepchildren.

George’s career in the auto industry spanned decades. He worked his way up to engineering supervisor at the Ford Ypsilanti Plant, and in 1991 he moved to Budapest, Hungary to open a parts manufacturing plant in Szekesfehervar, Hungary. His team made distributerless ignition coils. George was very excited and proud of his work there. Whilst in Hungary, George met the love of his life, Eszter Cukor, who also worked for Ford, and they were married in 1995 in Budapest.

George and Eszter came to the US with Eszter’s daughter Kati, where they settled in Ann Arbor, MI. Later, Eszter’s job took them to Chicago, Illinois and Mainz, Germany, and through the years they travelled to Paris, Amsterdam, all over Europe and the US.

George was a funny, talented and sensitive man. His love of a good joke and a bottle of whiskey were legendary. He enjoyed his work as treasurer with the Dexter Lions Club, especially the Christmas Tree Sales, and loved having breakfast with ‘the old farts’ club’ at the Riverview Cafe on Thursday mornings. George loved cars. He belonged to the Chelsea Classic Car Club. He owned and restored a 1968 London Taxi Cab that he took to the Ypsilanti Orphan Car Show as often as possible, and loved driving the cab in the parades in Dexter and Chelsea. His special friend and other son Tim Assaf (Mary Anna) was his partner in crime and a dear friend to both George and Eszter.

George took pride in caring for his family and friends and enjoyed getting everyone together for family gatherings as frequently as possible. He and Eszter glued the family together with their love and dedication. This was his life’s work. George will be missed and remembered by many.

George was preceded in death by his parents, wife Mary Lou, sister Beverly Lewis Cashen, and daughter Anne Marie Gundlach. He is survived by his children, Philip (Gabriella) Lewis, Margaret (Warren) Robords, Kati Gaspar-Danon (Daniel), as well as his grandchildren Alexander Gundlach, Benjamin Lewis, George and Duncan Robords and Sophie and Adam Danon. He is remembered fondly by his niece, Stacee (Mike) Lockhard and her sons, as well as nephew Paul (Carrie) Pronishen, and his daughters. George is further survived by stepson Mark (Kim) Jahn, and their children Chelsea (John) Grotrian and Reece Jahn. It comforted George to be visited by his great granddaughter Avery Marie Rose Grotrian just weeks before his death.

The family would like to thank Arbor Hospice for their dedicated and supportive staff. A celebration of life for George will take place Friday evening June 3rd, 2022 at Cole Funeral Chapel in Chelsea from 5:30-7:30pm. In lieu of flowers, George’s family requests donations to the Ukrainian people through HealthRight International http://www.healthright.org.ua/uk/ or to Arbor Hospice https://www.arborhospice.org/. Remember what George would say, “Have a good life!”


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Comments  

#3 William Kuzak 2022-06-04 12:06
I will greatly miss my cousin, George. I appreciated how he always stayed in touch with the family. George was a very good man.
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#2 Ildi Porter-Szucs 2022-06-03 17:04
Dear Eszter and and other members of George's family, please accept my deepest sympathies on your loss. I will always remember George very fondly; in fact, his characteristic quiet and kind voice still rings in my ear. May he rest in peace and may the many lovely memories you have shared with him comfort you at this difficult time.
Ildi
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#1 Jill Ellinwood 2022-05-30 12:54
My deepest condolences to the family. I have many fond memories of George. I especially remember his enthusiasm for learning new things and meeting new people, his caring for family and his goofy sense of humor. I have made a $50 dollar donation to health right.

within caring,
Jill
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