George Duke Humphrey passed away September 27th, 2021 in Tucson Arizona at the age of 63. A retired University Administrator, he enjoyed his work at the University of Arizona Health Sciences Center. A Father of two wonderful young men and Grandfather of two beautiful Grandchildren.
Music was one of George's passions, he was an accomplished guitarist and played beautifully. He had a wonderful collection of guitars that he cherished and played often.
Another passion of his was his love for the Sonoran desert and all that it has to offer. He especially loved the history of the Native Americans and the stories of the mining communities. Our desert adventures are some of the best memories our family has of George, always interesting, beautiful scenery and full of fun.
Born in Laramie Wyoming October 3rd, 1957, he was named after his paternal Grandfather George Duke Humphrey. A graduate of Sabino High School, he was a very successful athlete and some of the track records he held stood for decades.
George studied history at the University of Arizona and completed his bachelor's degree in 1980. He worked for some time in the Insurance field and later moved to Palo Alto California where he spent two years and then returned to Tucson to complete a Master's degree in Journalism. He worked at the Copper Era in Clifton Arizona and covered such stories as the Arizona copper mine strike of 1983. He later took a job with the Daily Territorial newspaper in Tucson and enjoyed the day to day reporting in his home town. His first job at the University of Arizona was for the College of Fine Arts where he worked as a Public Relations liaison. He then moved to the College of Medicine where he built his career and ended as Executive Director of Communications. He was proud of his work at the University of Arizona.
George is survived by his two sons, Ryan Humphrey of Nampa Idaho and Trevor Humphrey (Kristen) also of Nampa. His two Grandchildren, Eleanor Humphrey and Benjamin Duke Humphrey. His sister, Laurie Strauss (Rick), his nieces Jocelyn Ritcheson (Peter) and Nicole Strauss and their children.
George will be sorely missed by all that knew and loved him.