Aug. 10, 1922 – Dec. 11, 2013

George Kallas passed away peacefully on Wednesday, Dec. 11. George was born one of five children in Stamford, Conn. to Stella and Steven Kallas. In 1944, he relocated to California where he first worked as a waiter at Slapsy Maxie’s, allegedly owned by none other than Mikey Cohen. It was here where he met numerous movie stars of the day such as Dean Martin, Danny Thomas and Frank Sinatra.

In 1946, George met “the most beautiful girl on the west coast,” Florence Polamero. They married in 1949 and built a family home in La Crescenta where they raised their three children.

George worked for the aeronautical and aerospace industries including Menasco and Sargent Industries during the 1950s through the 1980s where he had the opportunity to work on Apollo and Space Shuttle equipment and met several astronauts.

Following retirement, George traveled to Greece, Italy and throughout Europe and many states within the United States. He joined the YMCA to keep active and healthy and built strong friendships with several Y members.

Anyone who knew George would remember his great sense of humor and cheerful, hearty laughter with a twinkle in his eyes. He enjoyed socializing with those in the community, family and friends. He was selfless and always willing to lend a helping hand and never hesitated to visit an ailing friend.

George will always be remembered for how he cherished family and friends and how genuinely connected he was with everyone he knew. He is survived by his wife of 64 years Florence Kallas; his children Steven, Cynthia and Mark; and five grandchildren Christopher, Stephanie, Dalton, Patrick and Michael.