George F. Ireland, Capt. Uscg, (Ret.)

George F. Ireland, Capt. USCG, (Ret.), age 83 died peacefully Saturday January 1, 2022, at home with family. The Maritime World mourns his loss. He helped draft world shipping safety regulations in London for IMCO-Inter-Governmental Maritime Consultative Organization where he combined his knowledge of maritime safety laws and his dedication to safety.

Born in Ohio in 1938, he graduated high school in Auburn, NY where he was an Eagle Scout and enjoyed sports.  He attended the Coast Guard Academy in New London, Ct. He served in Maine, Massachusetts, Virginia, California, New Jersey, and Maryland before retiring from the Coast Guard in Rhode Island after 26 years of service, including the Vietnam war. He loved ‘going to sea’ aboard the C.G. Cutters: ‘Cook Inlet,’ ‘Escanaba,’ and ‘Dallas.’ He is remembered by his shipmates for his leadership and genuine interest in them and their careers.

He then combined his accumulated knowledge and love of the shipping industry with people skills and education (two master’s degrees and PE) to happily continue working self-employed for two more decades helping shipping companies prevent oil spills by inspecting their ships using his keen observation skills and knowledge.

He leaves his wife of 65 years; Judy, son John (Marsha), granddaughters Sarah and Samantha (Wells), Grandsons Jeffrey and Nathan.  His grandchildren and family were often guided by his words of wisdom such as "Make yourself useful.", "Do one thing at a time and do it right." and often joked at meal time saying, "Good and good for you!!"

He enjoyed the outdoors, birding, fixing everything-especially motocross bikes, and loved to vacation at Cayuga Lake in NY. There were several lucky pets through the years that lived a luxurious life including trips to the lake where he had a life-long interest in rowing small boats. He loved the ‘pull’ of the oars as they entered the water!

Relatives and friends are invited to a Celebration of Life Saturday, January 15 ^th at 11:00am at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, 99 Peirce St., East Greenwich.  Calling hours:  Friday, January 14 ^th 5-7pm at the Hill Funeral Home, 822 Main St., East Greenwich.  Burial with military honors will be Tuesday, January 18 ^th at 11:00am at Quidnessett Memorial Cemetery, North Kingstown.  In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Hope Health (Hospice) https://www.hopehealthco.org/ways-to-give/donate or The Cornell Lab of Ornithology-birds.cornell.edu

The family reminds guests masks be worn at the funeral home and church.