George Patrick Archibald, 88, Formerly of Elwood
George Patrick Archibald, 88, of Greendale, Wis., died Thursday, Feb. 20.
He was born March 30, 1936, in Elwood. He was a farmer, airplane pilot and lifelong Catholic. George was predeceased by his parents, Ivan Raymond and Alice Ann (nee Lacey) Archibald; his sister, Rosemary (Archibald) Goss; and an infant sister, Mary Archibald.
Survivors include his wife, Julianne G. Archibald, of Greendale, Wis.; three sons, John J. Archibald of Benton, Ark., Michael P. (Ann) Archibald of Brookfield, Wis., and David D. (Jennifer) Archibald of Arlington Heights, Ill., and two daughters, Karen M. (Peter) Parks of Brookfield, Wis., and Katherine “Kate” A. (Matthew) Althoff of Sioux Falls, S.D.; one sister, Carol A. (Joe) Deck of Williamsville, N.Y.; loving grandfather to Jacob, George, Olivia, Timothy, Casimir, Veronica, John, Bridget, James, Levi, Sebastian, Margaret, Chiara, Luke, Matthew, Rachel, Teresa, Molly, Alice and Maureen; several cousins, nieces, nephews and their families.
George was born on the Route 66 farm of his Irish grandparents near Elwood. The expansion of the Joliet Arsenal before World War II forced the family to relocate to farms in New Lenox. He farmed full-time with his father, raising Angus cattle, corn and soybeans.
He graduated from St. Joseph College of Rennselaer, Ind.; then from Purdue University of West Lafayette, Ind. He also worked at Joliet State Bank.
Gene Gear of New Lenox turned part of his farm into a grass strip airport, next to the main Archibald cattle farm. George traded engine repairs in exchange for Gene offering flight instruction. George earned his private pilot license and advanced certificates, including his ground school and flight instructor ratings, keeping in touch with former flight students for many years.
In a favorite family story, Jeanette Greenley, wife of retired Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad Treasurer Maxmillian Greenley, both of New Lenox, matchmade their niece, the former Julianne Z. Greenley of Wilmette, with George. George and Julianne married four months later.
George left full-time farming for a flight career, flying charter airplanes out of East Troy, Wis. On Father’s Day 1977, he began flying with the aircraft team for Briggs & Stratton Corp. at Mitchell Field of Milwaukee, Wis. He worked full-time for Briggs & Stratton until age 74 and as a reserve pilot until age 79.
He had several flying stories to share. He flew the Stratton family several times to northern Wisconsin. He also flew Edmund B. Fitzgerald, son of the namesake of the iron ore carrier. He flew the Milwaukee Journal election edition in 1976 overnight to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. He also was one of the last verified airplanes in the air Sept. 11, 2001, with a powerful story of events that day.
George was a lifelong Bear’s and Cub’s fan and continued farming in retirement. He liked to visit family land near Wilmington.
Funeral services for George were held with a Mass of the Resurrection on Thursday, Feb. 27, at the Basilica of St. Josephat, 2333 S. 6th St., Milwaukee, Wis., with a family private burial.
Memorials can be made to the Milwaukee Habitat for Humanity, Basilica of St. Josaphat and Pro-Life Wisconsin.
Rozga Funeral Home, 703 W. Lincoln Ave., Milwaukee, Wis., was in charge of services. www.rozgafuneral.com