George E. Dillon, age 91, died September 6, 2015. A resident of Winchester, MA since 1959, he was raised in Medford and attended Medford High School, St. John’s Prep, and Northeastern University. He served in the U.S. Army Air Corps in the European theatre during World War II as a tail gunner and flight engineer. George was employed by Carter Wallace, earning recognition as one of its top sales people, working from Cazenovia, NY and Winchester, MA.
George Dillon was known for his commitment to family, church, and community, along with his great love of music. Among his many activities, he was the choir director for many years at both St. James Roman Catholic Church in Cazenovia and St. Mary’s Roman Catholic Church in Winchester, served as an extraordinary minister at St. Mary’s, and along with his wife Jean, was a member of the Teams of Our Lady at St. Mary’s for nearly 40 years. He was Commodore of the Winchester Boat Club and served on its board of directors for over 20 years. He volunteered with the Boy Scouts in Winchester, serving for many years as Troop Chairman and was the first Winchester High School sailing coach. He served on the board of the Broadnax Music Scholarship Fund in Roxbury, MA.
Starting by playing the tenor saxophone in school, he went on to play in big bands and pick-up bands during the war, then played in the Cazenovia Town Band and local bands before moving to Winchester. By then he also enjoyed playing the alto saxophone, the clarinet, and eventually added the flute. He joined “The Big Band”, a local 18-piece swing band, where he continued to play weekly with valued friends until he was 87.
George and his wife Jean were residents of New London, NH during their retirement, and he played in the Kearsarge Community Band with his daughter and grandsons. He was a board member of the Little Lake Sunapee Protective Association and organized and took part in weekly sailing races on Little Lake Sunapee.
George was predeceased by his wife Jean Nortz Dillon and their daughter Margaret Elizabeth. He is survived by his sons Thomas Dillon and his wife Chris Ann of Rocky Hill, CT and James Dillon and his wife Victoria of Winchester, and by his daughters Kathleen Dillon Cook and husband Bradford of Manchester, NH, Sara Dillon Knapp and husband Robert recently of Andover, MA, Janice Dillon Flowers and husband James of Somerset, OH, Mary Dillon Zamierowski and husband Stephen, of Winchester, Ellen Dillon and husband Norman Stiles of Hoboken, NJ, and Amy Dillon Joyall and husband Allan of Andover, MA. He was the proud grandfather of thirteen and great-grandfather of two, and loving uncle of Joseph Dillon and wife Noreen of Reading, MA.
The family would like to thank the staff of Country Club Heights in Woburn and Arnold House in Stoneham for the exceptional care they provided George in recent years. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the First Years First Foundation, 150 Heather Street, Manchester, NH 03104 or the Winchester Foundation for Educational Excellence , P.O. Box 1005 Winchester, MA 01890.
Mr. Dillon’s Funeral will be held from the Costello Funeral Home, 177 Washington St., Winchester, MA on Friday, Sept. 11 at 9AM followed by a Funeral Mass in St. Mary’s Church, 155 Washington St., Winchester, at 10AM. Relatives and friends are respectfully invited to attend. Visiting hours will be held in the funeral home on Thurs. from 4-8PM. Interment will be in Wildwood Cemetery, Winchester.