George Trausch
Sarasota, Fla. — George Joseph Trausch, 89, of Sarasota, Fla., formerly of Ledyard, passed away on March 23 at Sarasota Memorial Hospital due to complications from diabetes and kidney disease.
George was born on Sept. 26, 1927, in Vinkovci, Croatia. He grew up throughout Yugoslavia and Hungary with elder siblings Stefan and Maja.
With his schooling interrupted for significant periods during WWII, George used this time to improve his sports and music skills. An accomplished athlete, George excelled in soccer and volleyball. He was proud to have played on two Hungarian national championship volleyball teams (195051). George graduated from the Technical University of Budapest in 1951 with a degree in mechanical engineering. After graduation he began working factory jobs as an engineer and continued playing and coaching volleyball.
In 1956, frustrated by the Russian occupation of Hungary, George and his fiancée, Mary Kuti, escaped Hungary and crossed into Austria on foot via the bridge at Andau. They stayed in a refugee center for a few weeks until boarding a ship to Canada.
George and Mary were married in Toronto in 1957. George landed a job with Davie Shipbuilding as a draftsman and settled in Quebec City, where he and Mary started their family and gave birth to two sons, Joseph and George Jr.
In 1965, George moved to Masury, Ohio, and began a 12-year engineering career with GATX building railroad tank cars. In 1977, he left to work for General Dynamics, starting in engineering management at the Quonset, R.I., facility of Electric Boat and moving on to be GM of the GD manufacturing plant in Charleston, S.C., and VP of materials planning at EB in Groton, retiring in 1990.
George enjoyed a long and active retirement in Sarasota, Fla., filled with family, friends, dogs, tennis, travel and volunteer work.
George is survived by his beloved wife of 60 years, Mary, his devoted sons, Joseph and George, Joe’s wife Grace, and three grandchildren who adored him, Michelle, Alexandra and Meghan. He is missed dearly.
A memorial service for George will be held at 9:30 a.m. on April 12 at the Incarnation Catholic church in Sarasota, Fla. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you donate to Meals on Wheels or a favorite charity.