George Henry Carswell, Iii

George Henry Carswell III "Sporty", age 74, died quietly at home August 13 surrounded by family and friends following a brief illness. Mr. Carswell was born January 31, 1943 in Macon, Georgia. The son of George Henry Carswell II and Julia Porter Carswell, he grew up in Irwinton, Georgia and graduated from Wilkinson County High School. He earned a degree in engineering from Georgia Tech. He attended Navy Officer Candidate School and was team leader for a Naval Explosive Ordinance Disposal detachment based at U.S. Naval Air Facility Sigonella, Sicily from 1968 to 1971. After returning from the Navy he worked as a plant engineer at Johns Manville in Savannah, Georgia. To be close to family he returned to Wilkinson County where he worked at the Wilkinson County Telephone Company, serving in a number of roles including as president of the company as well as president of the Georgia Telephone Association. His lifelong love of sailing drew him to bodies of water near and far including Lake Juliette and Apalachicola Bay as well as the New York Bay and the British Virgin Islands. Cruising trips included Antarctica, Alaska, Costa Rica, and the Mississippi River. During retirement he traveled with friends on the Intracoastal Waterway and to the Bahamas. Ever a naturalist and conservationist he found like-minded friends through his memberships in the Georgia Conservancy and Altamaha Riverkeeper organizations. His passions of hiking, travel and photography intersected happily with the paths of his four grandsons. Often clad in a survival vest he hiked in England, Wales and New Zealand. He was a lifelong journalist keeping notes on a daily basis. Love of family and friends propelled him to entertain on a regular basis. Those lucky enough to sit at his table enjoyed not only his kind and generous heart but also his clever wit and ability to spin a good yarn. Mr. Carswell is survived by his wife of fifty years, Margaret Anne DuPree Carswell, and two daughters Eva Courtney Carswell Van De Water, married to Eric Noyes Van De Water, with sons Davis DuPree and Alexander Joseph, and Margaret DuPree Carswell Harrington, married to Benjamin Lucas Harrington, with sons Paul Carswell and John Barry. Mr. Carswell is also survived by his sister Judy Ann Carswell Langston and several nieces and nephews. A memorial service will be held at Hart's at the Cupola Wednesday, August 23, at 2p.m., with reception to follow. In lieu of flowers, contributions in memory of Mr. Carswell may be made to the Altamaha Riverkeeper, P.O. Box 4122, Macon, GA 31208, or to Theatre Macon, 438 Cherry Street, Macon GA 31201.