George Merrill Elrod Jr., age 87 is survived by his loving wife of 65 years, Carlene Nickel Elrod; their three sons Bill, John, and Rocky and daughters-in-law Lori, Deanna, and Teresa; grandchildren Wes (wife Kelly); Erika, Eli, Lauren Bauer (husband Justin), and Justin Elrod; greatgrandchildren Wade and Derek Elrod.
George was a proud graduate of Georgia Tech in 1951 with a degree in Mechanical Engineering then commissioned into the US Air Force. In 1964 he was assigned to Redstone Arsenal where he transitioned into civil service, becoming chief of systems engineering for MICOM, retiring in 1986. For the next 15 years, he worked as a consultant for Nichols Research. As a volunteer at the Huntsville Hospital Joint Camp for 15 years, he was recognized for his 5,000 hours of service and was presented with a Lifetime Member award in 2015. Civically active as a voting precinct officer and a valuable volunteer for Historic Harrison Brothers Hardware, 30 year member of the Botanical Garden, an active member of First United Methodist Church for over 60 years, and countless hours of behind the scenes support of his wife Carlene.
George was an avid golfer, loved tennis, and was an accomplished wood crafter. He enjoyed his exercise routine at the Wellness center with many friends and meeting his goal of “making at least one person smile each day”.
Visitation will be from 2:00 to 3:00 p.m. Sunday, May 20, 2018 at First United Methodist Church sanctuary. A service to celebrate the life of George will be at 3:00 p.m. Burial will follow at Maple Hill Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to First United Methodist Church or the charity of your choice.
