George Joseph Rolfes' Obituary
The friendliest most fun man in the world left us on August 12, 2021.
George Joseph Rolfes was born August 26, 1959, the third son of the four children of Laverne Rolfes and Rose Desio.
From the start, George was talented and fun, athletic and charming, and certainly unique; his sister’s first memory of him was when he was two or three jumping off the top of the refrigerator in the middle of the night.
He loved hockey, football, and baseball. He played baseball at Potawatomi Park in the Rogers Park neighborhood of Chicago. At the age of 12, he pitched the ball so hard, some neighborhood kids were afraid to bat against him, but that could be because his aim was bad.
In high school at St. Ignatius, George was known as “Buzz”, for driving his 1977 buckskin metallic Chevy Camaro, and his legendary basement pool table parties.
George kept his cool and the Camaro and headed down to SMU in Dallas for university, intending to study to become a large animal veterinarian. George rode around a few days with a farm veterinarian his father introduced him to in Iowa. After three days of castrating hogs, George suddenly decided he would look into an economics degree, which he thought would be more pleasant and would not trigger his allergies.
A few years after college, George kept his cool, but traded the buckskin metallic Camaro for a white Plymouth Horizon, and he kept that car, known as “the Sled” and “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang” for 24 years.
If anything, George was consistent.
He loved Italian food and considered meatballs the gold standard on how to rate a restaurant. He loved all pizza and commented that he missed the pizza he used to get as a child in Chicago that was cut into 3” squares. He loved springtime in Arizona and visiting family, especially if they conveniently lived within walking distance of Hi Corbett Field in Tucson during Spring Training where he could catch a game every day.
Yes George was consistent; he was not quick to change. Most likely this was because he he was happy and felt no need to change what made him happy; and he spread that happiness to everyone he met. George resided in only two cities in his life; Chicago and Dallas. He always called Chicago home, but for 43 years, he introduced himself as George from Dallas, Texas. Both Chicago and Dallas were lucky to have had him.
In recent years, George struggled with health issues that limited his ability to visit and enjoy his family and friends as often as he liked. Those health issues have taken him from us, and his struggles are over.
He leaves to continue loving him his older brothers and their wives, Robert and Kay (Larson), William and Grace (Medina), his brother in law Scott Blevins who married his only sister RoseAnn, along with many cousins, aunts, and countless friends that will miss him beyond measure.
George’s memory will be honored at a service at 2:00 pm on Saturday, August 21, 2021 at Restland Funeral Home, 13005 Greenville Avenue, Dallas, Texas 75243 in the Wildwood Chapel.
What’s your fondest memory of George?
What’s a lesson you learned from George?
Share a story where George's kindness touched your heart.
Describe a day with George you’ll never forget.
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