Unger, George S. (1925-2010)

Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 2010 Feb 22 p. 9

Birth date: 1925 Sep 16

text of obituary:

GEORGE S. UNGER

George S. Unger, 84, of Goshen, Ind., died Jan. 29, 2010, at Courtyard Healthcare Center. He was born Sept. 16, 1925, in Niverville, Man., to Peter N. and Helena (Stoesz) Unger.

Before coming to Goshen College in 1952, he received the bachelor of religious education degree from Mennonite Brethren College, Winnipeg, Man. At Goshen College he received the bachelor of arts degree in sociology in 1954, and the bachelor of divinity degree from Goshen Biblical Seminary in 1957.

On Sept. 8, 1956, he married Dorothy J. Keller of Eureka, Ill. He and his wife served at Prairie View Hospital, a mental health hospital under Mennonite Central Committee health services, in Newton, Kan., from 1956 to 1959. In the fall of 1963, he entered Washington University, St. Louis, Mo., and received the master of social work degree in 1965. Until his retirement in 1989, he worked as a social worker at Illinois State Hospital, Peoria, Ill., and as a special education social worker in Tazewell County, Ill. He received the Social Worker of the Year Award from both the Illinois Association of School Social Workers and the National Association of Social Workers of the Peoria area. In 1989, he and his wife moved to Goshen to retire. He worked part time at Park Pharmacy after moving to Goshen.

He was a member of College Mennonite Church, served in many church-related volunteer activities, taught Sunday school classes, and serving on committees in churches in Illinois. In retirement, he volunteered at Goshen College, Indiana-Michigan Conference and Oaklawn.

Survivors include his wife, Dorothy; a son, Ben and his wife, Debra, of Center Valley, Pa.; four sisters, Kay Martens, Helen Ploegman, Elizabeth Dueck, all of Manitoba, and Mary Peters of Saskatchewan; and a brother, Cornelius of Manitoba.

He was preceded in death by two sisters and three brothers.

Memorial services were held at College Mennonite Church of Goshen. Burial was in Pleasant View Mennonite Church Cemetery.