George Kilbreath of Ann Arbor, formerly of Dexter, age 89, died Wednesday, Dec. 22, 2021 at his home in Ann Arbor.
He was born July 20, 1932 in Ann Arbor, the son of Manley Ward and Ida B. (Helwich) Kilbreath.
As a child, his family were members at Zion Lutheran. In later life he was not a regular church goer, but maintained a generous spirit of Christian faith as a source of optimism in his life. George was a fireman for the City of Ann Arbor, later becoming a truck driver and excavator for many years. A born mechanic, he removed the door to his mother’s ice box with a screwdriver at age 3 or 4. She was so impressed with his doing this on the day she was hosting a church luncheon that it likely earned him a good spanking.
He was a talented and capable individual, whose sense of time kept many of us waiting for extended periods. His humorous and generous nature earned forgiveness from most.
As a family, we enjoyed years of cooking together for every Chinese New Year and Cinco de Mayo. George and Mickey shared a love of gardening and feeding the birds, squirrels and even raccoons. As part of Ann Arbor Farm and Garden, Mickey took us on annual Garden Walk Fundraisers. They greatly enjoyed trips to Pennsylvania and Ohio to spend time with her sons, Mike and John, and their wives.
When Mickey’s daughter was married, she honored George by asking him to walk her down the aisle. His grandson delighted him by showing the same talents and skill with his hands he himself had. He was amused and enlightened by his granddaughter. He respected and admired his son-in-law.
A memorial service will be held at a later date. A private burial was held at Bethlehem Cemetery in Ann Arbor. Memorial contributions may be made to Arbor Hospice or The Ark.
For updates on the memorial service, please go to www.ColeFuneralChapel.com.
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