Administrator
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This tribute to George was read out at his funeral by one of his four daughters, Jane:
"Thank you all very much for coming.
My Dad was born in Portadown in 1920. He had a younger brother, Willie, and a younger sister, Molly.
His first job was on his father's newspaper, The Portadown Times, followed by the Belfast Newsletter. Later he moved to London where he worked for the Press Association. He joined BBC Radio in 1954 where he met my mother. He was immediately smitten and proposed after only two months.
He had a long career in the BBC radio newsroom. He was so popular there that they arranged a special football match for his retirement - northerners versus southerners. The then editor of BBC Radio News, John Wilson, wrote at the time: "When George left us we lost our nicest man. No one can remember him ever losing his temper, ever speaking ill of anyone or raising his voice."
John Simpson, now the BBC's World Affairs Editor, wrote in my dad's retirement book: "From my first day as a half-pay sub, George, you were kindness and helpfulness itself. There have been plenty of other things I've been grateful to you for, over the years (on one occasion you persuaded me not to resign!) but I shan't forget how kind you were in those early stages."
My dad was a great father and a real family man who had no vices - he was teetotal all his life and didn't even eat chocolate. His hobbies included watching cricket, listening to his extensive record collection and doing the Telegraph crossword. He took great pleasure in any small achievements by his family and particularly in his eldest grand-daughter, Laura, gaining a place at Cambridge University. He will be very much missed by all of us."
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