Published: November 04, 2009 10:37 am      

George Samuel Barzellone

George Samuel Barzellone, died Monday, Nov. 2, 2009.

Rosary will be at 7 p.m. today at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Tulsa.

Funeral mass will be at 11 a.m. Thursday at St. Mary’s Catholic Church. The family will be receiving guests after mass in Beckerle Hall. Arrangements are under the direction of Fitzgerald Southwood Colonial Funeral Home of Tulsa.

Born in Krebs, he was the son of Vito and Mary Barzellone. He graduated from McAlester High School in 1941 and attended Oklahoma University. He held positions of secretary, vice president and president of Pi Kappa Alpha and attended the College of Business Administration.

After enlisting in the United States Army Air Corps on Oct. 15, 1942, he was assigned to the 409th Bomb Group and participated in two campaigns as an aerial engineer aboard the aircraft, Douglas A-26 Invader, over Rhineland, Ardennes and Central Europe. He was honorably discharged and received the European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal, three Bronze Service Stars, Good Conduct Medal, World War II Victory Ribbon, American Theater Ribbon and Distinguished Unit Badge of the 9th Air Force.

Shortly after returning home, he resumed his studies at the University of Oklahoma, where he completed his bachelor’s degree. He joined S.D. Giacomo Company as a wholesale grocery representative in Sapulpa in the 1940s. In 1950, he would meet his future wife, Mary Frances Foster. They lived in Sapulpa, where they raised their children.

He and his family moved to Tulsa in 1974 and became parishioners of St. Mary’s Catholic Church.

He continued to work in sales as a representative for Businessman’s Insurance Company and later became the manager of Hagman’s Tobacco and Candy Company.

He continued to succeed in business with a new line of work with his two sons in the nursing care industry from 1978 until he retired in 1997.

Survivors include his sister, Marguerite Sadler, of McAlester; four children, Stephen, Timothy, Michelle and Susan; 16 grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Mary Frances.