George Peter Phaneuf, age 76, passed away peacefully at the Chaplaincy Hospice House in the early hours of July 15, 2023.

George was born October 9, 1946, in Norwich, CT to George and Alice (nee Deslandes) Phaneuf and was the second of four children. He graduated from Norwich Free Academy in June of 1964, then enlisted in the U.S. Air Force – beginning his basic training in February of 1966. His greatest joy was being a dad. His Air Force career took him all across the United States, along with Tan Son Nhut Air Base in Vietnam and the Keflavik Naval Station in Iceland.

In 1985, while stationed at Elmendorf Air Force Base in Alaska, he met the love of his life, Lois Marie Sewell. They married on August 16, 1986. When he and Lois married, he became a father to Lois’ teenage daughters: Julie and Janette. The following year, they completed their family when their daughter, Alicia, was born. He retired from the military on January 1, 1992 as a Senior Master Sergeant at Hanscom Air Force Base in Massachusetts.

In July of 1992, the family left New England to start fresh in Spokane, Washington. George decided to go back to school, and while working night shifts, he attended Spokane Community College and Eastern Washington University. He received his Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting in June of 1996.

In 1998, the family relocated for the last time, to the Tri-Cities. George took a management position with Kinko’s (now FedEx). He retired in 2002.

Since his retirement, he loved being a grandpa to his grandkids, and he loved being in his garden.

George is survived by his wife of almost 37 years, Lois; his children Alicia, Janette and Julie; and his grandchildren: Carolyn, Alaina, Lucas, Scott, Kaitlin and Krystal. He has 4 great-grandchildren, with #5 arriving in September. He leaves behind his sisters: Cecile Gagnon of Baltic, CT, Jeanne (Jim) Barrows of Canterbury, CT and his brother Denis (Christine) Phaneuf of Ashland, MA, along with 7 nieces and nephews and their families.

A special thank you to his healthcare providers who became more like family to us: Dr. William Kalichman, Dr. Daniel Perdue, Courtney Hunter, ARNP, Dr. Eric Gamboa and the team at the Tri-Cities Cancer Center, along with the amazing staff at Chaplaincy Hospice who made his final weeks so peaceful.