Photo by Aaron Burden, courtesy of Unsplash.

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George F. Ireland, Capt. USCG, (Ret.), age 83, died peacefully Saturday January 1, at home with family. The Maritime World mourns his loss. He helped draft world shipping safety regulations in London for IMCO-Inter-Governmental Maritime Consultative Organization where he combined his knowledge of maritime safety laws and his dedication to safety.

Born in Ohio in 1938, he graduated high school in Auburn, NY where he was an Eagle Scout and enjoyed sports.  He attended the Coast Guard Academy in New London, Ct. He served in Maine, Massachusetts, Virginia, California, New Jersey, and Maryland before retiring from the Coast Guard in Rhode Island after 26 years of service, including the Vietnam War. He loved ‘going to sea’ aboard the C.G. Cutters: ‘Cook Inlet,’ ‘Escanaba,’ and ‘Dallas.’ He is remembered by his shipmates for his leadership and genuine interest in them and their careers.

He then combined his accumulated knowledge and love of the shipping industry with his people skills and education (two master’s degrees and PE) to happily continue working self-employed for two more decades, using his keen observation skills and knowledge to help shipping companies prevent oil spills by inspecting their ships .

He leaves his wife of 65 years, Judy, his son, John (Marsha), granddaughters, Sarah and Samantha (Wells), and grandsons, Jeffrey and Nathan.  His grandchildren and family were often guided by his words of wisdom such as “Make yourself useful,” “Do one thing at a time and do it right,” and often joke at meal time saying, “Good and good for you!!”

He enjoyed the outdoors, birding, fixing everything – especially motocross bikes – and loved to vacation at Cayuga Lake in NY. There were several lucky pets through the years that lived a luxurious life including trips to the lake where he had a life-long interest in rowing small boats. He loved the ‘pull’ of the oars as they entered the water!

Relatives and friends are invited to a Celebration of Life Saturday, January 15 at 11:00 AM at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in East Greenwich. Calling hours:  Friday, January 1, from 5:00 to 7:00 PM at the Hill Funeral Home in East Greenwich. Burial with military honors will be Tuesday, January 18 at 11:00 AM at Quidnessett Memorial Cemetery in North Kingstown. The family reminds guests that masks be worn at the funeral home and church.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Hope Health Hospice or The Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

You can leave an online condolence with the funeral home HERE.