George V. Bershinsky
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"The published obit is no longer on our paper's website, but here is a copy of
it:" George Victor Bershinsky died suddenly at home in Laramie, WY on July 24th 2014. George was born on March 6th, 1943 in Mount Harris, Colorado to James and Minnie (Cox) Bershinsky. Along with siblings James, Bill, Judy, and Sookie, George grew to love the mountains until the closure of the Mount Harris mine took the family to Oklahoma. He graduated from Hartshorne, OK high school in 1961 then attended the University of Oklahoma, graduating in 1966 with a degree in Psychology and a minor in Spanish. A blind date during Christmas break of his senior year became the love of his life and his wife of 48 years, Donna (Landry) Bershinsky. Together, they would have 3 boys, Victor (Debbie), Matt (Amy) and Bill (Cassie). The greatest joy of George’s life was watching his sons grow and have families of their own, eventually bringing him seven grandchildren, Jeremiah, Matthew, Benjamin, Madeline, McKinley, Bridger, and Hunter (who preceded him in death). George was a product of a coal mining family, dirt poor with few avenues for advancement. A childhood milestone was finally getting indoor plumbing when he was 13 years old. His college career was funded by a Naval ROTC scholarship, milking cows, and the local pawn shops. Pursuing his dream, he became an A-6 Intruder pilot for the USMC, flew many missions in Viet Nam, and was eventually invited to attend the Navy’s Top Gun school. His love for family and the mountains instead brought George and his family to Laramie where he worked first for Laramie Aviation, then as a research pilot for the University of Wyoming Atmospheric Science department. He medically retired from UW in 1996 and was recognized by the UW Board of Trustees with their prestigious Award Of Merit. A lifetime of travel and adventure began with flight training in the Marine Corps and continued on to 48 U.S. States and 47 countries. But he chose to live and raise his children in the mountains near his birthplace and never missed an elk hunt or a ski season. He loved roaming the mountain roads - sometimes quite questionable roads - to see what might be “around the next corner”. He enjoyed traveling with his extended family and accompanied his children and grandchildren on many trips around the world. A celebration of George’s life will be held on Saturday, August 2nd from 3-5 p.m. at 2555 Wyoming Avenue, Laramie, Wyoming 82070. Please bring a 4x6 photo of George to the celebration to add to the guest book. Memorial donations may be made to the University of Wyoming Atmospheric Science department scholarship fund.
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