George D. Hedges

George D. Hedges died Monday, Jan. 30.

A resident of Greenfield Twp., Mr. Hedges was born in 1933, and raised in St. Paul, Minn. He graduated from the University of Minnesota with a degree in mechanical engineering. He went to work for the Honeywell Military Avionics Division immediately upon graduation.

Mr. Hedges began his design engineering career with assignments in aircraft cockpit displays. After completing work on the Apollo program, he moved into helmet mounted sights and displays. He designed the Visual Target Acquisition Set (VTAS) I and VTAS II helmets for the Navy, a magnetic helmet sight helmet for the Air Force and the IHADSS helmet for the Army Apache Attack Helicopter.

It was the work with Honeywell that introduced Mr. Hedges to the Gentex Corporation. After a quarter century of service at Honeywell, he moved to Northeastern Pennsylvania to work for Gentex, where he recently completed 35 years of service in several senior management, engineering management and design engineering positions leading to his last assignment as senior technical advisor. During his years of leadership of air helmet design, Gentex became the dominant supplier of aircraft helmets for all branches of U.S. military forces. Mr. Hedges holds nine patents.

During his years in Minnesota, Mr. Hedges served on the Board of Directors of the Tri-Lakes Association in the City of Lake Elmo, Washington County, Minn. He also served two terms as president of the association. He played a material role in the formation of the Valley Branch Watershed District in Washington and Ramsey Counties, served on the Planning and Advisory Commission for the District and on the Board of Managers as secretary to the Board.

Mr. Hedges is survived by his mate of 26 years, Rosalie Walters, of West Scranton; along with her daughter, Amy and husband, Paul Brady and their children, Ali, Paul and Kyle. He is also survived by his only daughter, Laurel and her husband, Phillip Lembo; grandson, Charles George Lembo; and granddaughter, Reynolds Marchant Lembo, all of Pebble Beach, Calif. He is also survived by his older brother, Solomon Russell Hedges and wife, Jean, who reside in Rosamond, Calif. Other surviving family members include nieces, nephews, grandnieces, grandnephews, great-grandnieces and great-grandnephews.

Visitations will be held Tuesday, Feb. 7, from 5 to 8 p.m. and again Wednesday, Feb. 8, from 10 a.m. until a celebration of life service at 11 at the Lawrence E. Young Funeral Home, 418 S. State St., Clarks Summit, Pa. Interment will be private at the convenience of the family.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations may be made to the Griffin Pond Animal Shelter, 967 Griffin Pond Road, South Abington Twp., PA 18411.