George Edwin Hertzke
Marriages
Billie
Obituaries
Grand Junction Daily Sentinel page 6A Obituary - April 11, 2017
George Edwin Hertzke, 84,
died peacefully in his home in
Sun City West, Arizona on
April 3, 2017, after a long,
brave fight with cancer.
George was born in Boulder,
Colorado in 1932 to George
A. and Cora Mae Hertzke. He
had one younger brother, Jon
L. Hertzke. The family moved
several times before settling
in Grand Junction, Colorado. George attended Grand Junction
High School where he was an outstanding athlete. He played
basketball, baseball, football, and track and was recognized
many times for his incredible talents. After graduating high
school in 1950, he attended Western State College in Gunnison,
Colorado where he played basketball and football while earning
his teaching degree.
George taught and coached at Grand Valley High School and
other rural towns in eastern Colorado. He then accepted a
teaching job in Palm Springs, California where, in addition to
coaching football and basketball for several years, he met his
soul mate and wife of 45 years, Billie. He was the principal at
Hayden High School from 1975 to 1978, after which he, Billie,
and friends moved to Boulder to open a Mexican food
restaurant on the Pearl Street Mall. After a bulldozer razing the
building next door inadvertently destroyed the restaurant, he
returned to education as the principal of North Gallia High
School in Gallia County, Ohio. But his heart remained in
Colorado, and he returned with his family to Hayden, where he
was again the high school principal from 1982 to 1988. From
1988 to 1994 he was the high school principal in Meeker.
Upon his retirement in 1994, he and Billie moved to Grand
Junction, where she continued to teach. They also opened an
educational supply store, Learning Works, where George could
be found daily and where he was not only the lowest paid
employee, but holder of the most "Employee of the Month"
certificates!
Being the young(ish) whipper-snapper that he was - he began
mowing fairways at Adobe Golf Course in Fruita. He loved the
serenity and nature in the early mornings and worked there until
August 2015. George and Billie moved to Arizona in 2015.
George’s family will forever miss the blessings, happiness,
laughter, and love he filled each of their hearts with. His quiet,
unassuming nature defined him and he lived his life with an
unmatched integrity and unshakable character.
George had three daughters, Georgiana "Gigi" Hertzke, Donna
Hertzke, and Debbie Bricker, and three sons, Eddie Hertzke,
Jeff Boyle, and Billy-George "Bumper" Hertzke. In addition, he
is survived by his son-in-law, Jeff Bricker; daughter-in-law,
Kate Boyle; son-in-law, Lance Blumberg; grandchildren,
Katelin (Tyler) Hinton; Madison (Trey) Stastny; Max Bricker,
Dylan Boyle, Brooks Boyle, and great-grandchildren, Crew and
Nola Stastny.
George was preceded in death by his parents; brother, Jon; son,
Eddie, and former wife, Margaret, mother of Gigi, Eddie, and
Donna.
A celebration of George’s life will take place in Arizona, and a
family remembrance and reunion will take place in Steamboat
Springs this summer.
Steamboat Today - April 10, 2017
George Edwin Hertzke
1932 - 2017
George Edwin Hertzke, 84, died peacefully in his home in Sun City West, Arizona on April 3, 2017 after a long, brave fight with cancer. George was born in Boulder, Colorado in 1932 to George A. and Cora Mae Hertzke. He had one younger brother Jon L. Hertzke. The family moved several times before settling in Grand Junction, Colorado. George attended Grand Junction High School where he was an outstanding athlete. He played basketball, baseball, football, and track and was recognized many times for his incredible talents. After graduating high school in 1950, he attended Western State College in Gunnison, Colorado where he played basketball and football while earning his teaching degree. George taught and coached at Grand Valley High School and other rural towns in eastern Colorado. He then accepted a teaching job in Palm Springs, California where, in addition to coaching football and basketball for several years, he met his soul mate and wife of 45 years, Billie. He was the principal at Hayden High School from 1975 to 1978, after which he, Billie, and friends moved to Boulder to open a Mexican food restaurant on the Pearl Street Mall. After a bulldozer razing the building next door inadvertently destroyed the restaurant, he returned to education as the principal of North Gallia High School in Gallia County, Ohio. But his heart remained in Colorado, and he returned with his family to Hayden, where he was again the high school principal from 1982 to 1988. From 1988 to 1994 he was the high school principal in Meeker. Upon his retirement in 1994, he and Billie moved to Grand Junction, where she continued to teach. They also opened an educational supply store, Learning Works, where George could be found daily and where he was not only the lowest paid employee, but holder of the most "Employee of the Month" certificates! Being the young(ish) whipper snapper that he was he began mowing fairways at Adobe Golf Course in Fruita. He loved the serenity and nature in the early mornings and worked there until August 2015. George and Billie moved to Arizona in 2015. George's family will forever miss the blessings, happiness, laughter, and love he filled each of their hearts with. His quiet, unassuming nature defined him and he lived his life with an unmatched integrity and unshakable character. George had three daughters, Georgiana (Gigi) Hertzke, Donna Hertzke, and Debbie Bricker, and three sons, Eddie Hertzke, Jeff Boyle, and BillyGeorge (Bumper) Hertzke. In addition, he is survived by his son-in-law Jeff Bricker, daughter-in-law Kate Boyle, son-in-law Lance Blumberg, grandchildren Katelin Hinton and her husband Tyler, Madison Stastny and her husband Trey, Max Bricker, Dylan Boyle, Brooks Boyle, and great-grandchildren Crew and Nola Stastny. George was preceded in death by his parents, brother Jon, son Eddie, and former wife Margaret, mother of Gigi, Eddie, and Donna. A celebration of George’s life will take place in Arizona, and a family remembrance and reunion will take place in Steamboat Springs this summer.
