George Livingston
George Livingston was a member for 15 years, ending with his passing last month. In honor of his fellowship and service to the club, we are pleased to name him the Modeler of the Month for August 2020.
George loved being on the water, and this passion ran like a current through the course of his life. He discovered rowing while attending Lafayette High School, and was hooked by the sport. At the West Side Rowing Club he found instruction and storied camaraderie, of which he looked back upon fondly. He became a national champion: the races he won in Philadelphia and St. Catherine’s, Canada, are too numerous to count. He even participated in the Olympic Trials of 1956, making a strong showing in a crew of 4. Later on as a cadet at The Citadel he still rowed with great dedication, often alone on the water, as no rowing program existed at the military college at that time.
After a few years’ service in the Air Force, he began his career at Buffalo Savings Bank. Throughout his career in financial services, and through raising his first two sons Andy and Tim, he still found time to row. He ended his career as an institutional bond portfolio manager. After having worked in New York City for many years he and his wife Shirley retired early to Williams-burg in 1996 with their young son Tom. George’s passion for the water shone through in the way he enjoyed his retirement. In Williamsburg, he volunteered for a while as a rowing coach at the College of William and Mary. And while many evenings were spent peacefully on the back porch with his wife and a good book, many more were spent in pursuit of a new hobby: ship modeling. He joined and became an enthusiastic member of the Hampton Roads Ship Modeling Society. Over the years the collection of models he made grew in quality, quantity, and sheer variety.