George Evans Minot, Jr.
MINOT, WOODEND, ARLINE, RAFEY, RYAN, OAKLEY, CHALMERS
Posted By: Amanda Lensing (email)
Date: 6/26/2015 at 12:36:54
George E. Minot, 87, of Iowa City, formerly of Falls Church, Virginia passed away Monday, March 16, 2015 at Lantern Park Nursing & Rehab Center, Coralville.
A Celebration of George's Life will take place at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, July 4, 2015 at Lensing Funeral & Cremation Service, Iowa City.
George Minot was born January 14, 1928 in Arlington, Massachusetts, the son of George Minot, a writer and Managing Editor of the Boston Herald newspaper, and Ruth Woodend Minot, a pianist and graduate of the New England Conservatory of Music. George grew up outside of Boston playing baseball on a little field behind his house and running track at Arlington High School, where he graduated.
He served as a member of the Army Air Corp inTexas, and attended Tufts University, graduating in 1950 with a B.A. in Economics. He was the M.V.P. of the Tufts baseball team in 1948 and captain of the 1950 squad that played in the College World Series in Omaha, Nebraska. At the 60th reunion on May 10, 2010, George walked through the green grass to the pitcher's mound and threw out the first ball at Fenway Park.
In January 1951, George started work at The Washington Post newspaper. He was a copy boy, caption writer, and reporter, and when he saw an opening in Sports for a reporter, "I grabbed it and the rest is history." Indeed, not only did he find his calling, but in 1955 — across a crowded (news) room at The Washington Post — he saw Billie Arline, a fellow reporter and "the most beautiful woman I'd ever seen." Arline was struck, too — "He was so handsome and smart and he knew everything!" — and they married in 1957. They bought a house in Northern Virginia in 1958, and there they lived and loved and raised a family.
George worked as a Sports Writer for 34 years. He covered Naval Academy football during the Roger Staubach era and the Washington Senators when Ted Williams was the manager. The family enjoyed taking long trips to Florida for Spring Training, and often followed George to RFK Stadium on Sunday afternoons for regular season games. George enjoyed telling stories about Williams, the former Red Sox Hall-of-Famer, especially when they included him. "You're not half the writer your father was!" Ted roared one night after a tough loss. He apologized later, George said, and gave me a couple of gift baskets. "You work harder than I do," Ted said. "You're right," George said, and they laughed.
George was a member of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America; The National Press Club; and in 1969, he was awarded Sports Writer of the Year by the National Sportscasters and Sports Writers Association. He retired from The Post in 1984. "A good writer," said an editor at the retirement ceremony. "But a better man."
In retirement, George continued his lifelong passions. He was a voracious reader — he read stories and novels — and an avid moviegoer, who liked discount tickets and a free donut on Wednesday mornings. He kept a white 3x5 card in his pocket with a long list of movies and his ratings, A-F, a constant source of family conversation. He collected small wood, metal, and paper giraffes from all over the world; his den was adorned with hundreds of graceful colorful giraffes. He listened to music — Big Band and Frank Sinatra — and followed the Red Sox, of course. "There's nothing like a baseball diamond," he often said during the summer. "Nothing like a game on a green field."
George was a member of the Columbia Baptist Church in Falls Church, Virginia, for over 40 years. He was a Deacon; and he worked on the finance committee. He enjoyed volunteering his time for Meals on Wheels, a job he did at least once a week for 30 years. He met regularly with a small group of men from the church for a 'Power Breakfast,' and he liked the boisterous luncheon gatherings of the retired Washington Post sports writers, who met frequently in a restaurant in downtown Washington, D.C.
George was a devoted husband to his beloved Arline for 57 years; a loving father to his son, George, and daughter, Laura, and a doting grandfather — who after the birth of his fourth grandchild bought a license plate that read 4 for 4. He cherished visits with his family in his new Iowa home.
George had a wonderful wit and a humble patient faith; and he inspired all those who knew him. He was a good simple man, bound to deep habits and the turn of the seasons. He knew some things last forever — the grace of Christ, the love of God, the fellowship of Spirit and family — and he knew, too, the beautiful state of being that is a game… in a green field… in the sun.
He is survived by his wife of 57 years, Billie Arline; their children, George E. Minot, III (Deb) and Laura Minot Rafey (Rick); four grandchildren, Tanner Minot Ryan (Carolyn), Walker Minot, Will Rafey, and Kelly Rafey; a brother-in-law, Dr. Richard S. Oakley (Linda); and two nieces and three nephews.
His parents, George and Ruth Minot, Sr.; a brother, John Granville Minot; and a sister, Olive Ann Chalmers, preceded him in death.
The family wishes to thank George’s doctors and the staffs of Manor Care Health Services in Arlington, Virginia and Lantern Park Nursing & Rehab Center in Coralville, Iowa for their care.
Memorials may be made to Fairfax County - Meals on Wheels (12011 Government Parkway, Fairfax, VA 22035) or Columbia Baptist Church (103 W. Columbia Street, Falls Church, VA 22046).
Lensing Funeral & Cremation Service
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