Jul. 15, 1926 – Sep. 4, 2018
Georgee Stetson Pirtle departed this earthly plane September 4, 2018.
Born Georgina White Stetson on July 15th, 1926, in Pinole, California to Herbert James Stetson and Lois O. Perry Stetson – she was a precocious child and never liked the name ‘Georgina.’ She declared herself “Georgee” as soon as she could decide for herself and never mentioned her birth name again. She was the youngest of three children. Her brother, Bill Perry Stetson, was born in 1922, and her sister, Hermina Stout Stetson, was born in 1924. Both older siblings passed away two days apart in 1930 as a result of food poisoning. Georgee was only able to escape the same fate as she was playing at a neighbor’s house and missed the call for dinner.
Georgee was a woman ahead of her time when it came to ideas about what was and was not appropriate for women to do. She dropped out of high school at age 14 and hitchhiked across America. She worked as a waitress at a diner in Coffeeville, Kansas, and a caregiver in Tucson, Arizona. She made it all the way to Connecticut and back to California where she settled in the Central Coast area. She had one son, Dane Carroll, born in 1945. Georgee later returned to school and received her high school diploma through Soquel High School in 1974.
Georgee met and fell madly in love with her soulmate, Cecil Earl Pirtle, in 1964. They were married and had one son together, Erwin Rommel Pirtle, and Georgee became stepmother to Cathy, Earl, and Lori. Cecil doted on Georgee and indulged her every whim until his death in 2011.
Georgee was a hard worker all her life. She was employed as a line worker at Del Mar Foods for 35 years. She walked to and from work most days of her life until her retirement at age 80. She came to Idaho to live with her son Erwin and his family in 2013. Though she tried to adjust to life in the desert, she was always a California girl at heart and longed to return to her home.
Georgee was preceded in death by her parents, older siblings, eldest son, and her beloved husband. She is survived by her youngest son, Erwin (Tawny) Pirtle; and his children, Gabrielle, Marshall (Makenzie), Garrett, and Gretchen; and her first great-granddaughter, Hayden– daughter of Marshall and Makenzie.
The family wishes to thank the staff of Highland Estates for the years of compassionate care they have given Georgee, and to Harrison’s Hope Hospice for ensuring her comfort and dignity in this last week of her life. At Georgee’s request, no formal services will be held. A private family ceremony will be held at a later date on a sunny beach in California.
