George Christian Stamets born in Braddock, PA, Apr. 26,1920, died in Pittsburgh, PA, May 1, 2001. A 1938 graduate of Woodrow Wilson HS, he attended U. of Texas and Texas A & M. During WW II he served as a Marine Corps torpedo pilot with the “Red Devil” squadron in the Pacific where he participated in 40 strikes and received credit for destroying 3 Japanese ships. Before his tour of duty was over he was awarded three Distinguished Flying Crosses and five Air Medals. After WW II, he served as executive officer of the US Naval Mission in the Dominican Republic to develop an air force and set up a pilot’s training program. When he reached the Dominican Republic, the air force consisted of four pilots and five planes. His job complete in 1949 the air force had 72 pilots and 78 planes. The dictator, Rafael Trujillo, presented him with the country’s highest award, The Order of Trujillo Medal, similar to the US Congressional Medal of Honor. He returned to the states, to the Pittsburgh area with his wife and children, and worked for the William K. Stamets Co. owned by his uncle. He was a machine tool salesman during the day and at night attended classes at the Univ. of Pittsburgh. In 1955, he received his BS degree in General Engineering and started his own company, Merit Machinery Inc., where he served as president for 46 years. He is preceded in death by his former wife of 37 years, Mavis Hart Stamets. He is survived by his wife Justine Stamets of Pittsburgh, sister Carolyn Cole Lane, his brother Robert E. Stamets, his children Mavis Lee Schultz, Suzette Reed and husband Wes Reed, George Christian Stamets, Jr., and Erika Stamets all of Dallas, and his grandchildren, Tanya Ward and husband Michael Ward of Houston and Richard W. Carter of Lubbock.