George Varkonda

George Varkonda, 87, died peacefully on Saturday, January 24, 2015.
A memorial service will take place later this year in Sharon, Pa., his former home.
George was born on May 25, 1927, in Monessen, Pa., to George Varkonda Sr., and Anna Banoci Varkonda. He graduated from Monessen High School. He received a B.S. Degree in education from California State College of Pennsylvania and an M.ED. from the University of Pittsburgh. George married Iola ("Pat") Varkonda, in 1964, and they made their home in Pennsylvania.
George served in the Army in the European Theater during and after World War II. While in Germany after the war, he watched part of the Nuremberg war criminal trials and saw many of Hitler's deputies in court.
George taught mechanical drawing for many years in Farrell and Sharon, Pa., and his students remember him as a strict but fair teacher. He later worked for the Pennsylvania Department of Education as a Vocational Education Consultant and as a hiring and training supervisor for Monobloc in Sharon, Pa.
George was an avid golfer and enjoyed playing cards, especially euchre. He was a long-time member of First Presbyterian Church, Elks Lodge #103, the American Legion, and the Free and Accepted Masons Lodge #810, all in Sharon, Pa. He also owned a home in Estero, Fla., where he spent winters with family members who lived there. In his earlier years, George was popular as a local entertainer, acting as master of ceremonies or "end man" in variety shows throughout the Shenango Valley in Pennsylvania. He moved to Fort Worth in 2012.
George was preceded in death by his parents, his sister, Anna Maki, and a great-granddaughter, Patricia Jorgensen.
Survivors: Wife of 50 years, Iola "Pat" Templeton Varkonda; daughters, Kimi Haslam and husband, Harry, of Tybee Island, Ga., and Pamela Brandenberg and husband, Charles, of Benbrook; son, Kerry Varkonda and wife, Suzanne, of Atlantic Beach, Fla.; brother, John Varkonda, of Alexandria, Va.; adored grandchildren, Emilee Baxter, Kathryn Hoffman, Leeanne Edwards, Emma Morsea, Alex Varkonda, Luke Brandenberg, and Jill Jorgensen; great-grandchildren, Ella Baxter, Peyton Baxter, Anna Jorgensen, and Monroe Morsea; and dozens of dearly loved nieces and nephews.

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