Obituary of George J. Gudauskas

George J. Gudauskas, 100, of East Hartford, beloved husband of the late Vivian (Aubin) Gudauskas, passed away peacefully at his home on Thursday, December 17, 2020. Born in Worcester, MA, he was the son of the late John and Anna (Chizouski) Gudauskas. After his mother’s early death in 1926, George was raised by his grandparents in Gilbertville, MA and graduated from Hardwick High in 1938. After high school, George joined the now famed CCC camps in Westfield, MA and worked with them from 1938 to 1940. In 1942, George married Vivian, the love of his life - they were married for 74 years. In 1943, George was drafted into the US Army and served his country in the Pacific Theater (Pearl Harbor) during WWII. He was honorably discharged in 1946. In 1951, he and Vivian bought a house in East Hartford, CT, where both lived the rest of their lives, raising their five children along the way. George worked as a machinist for Pratt & Whitney and Combustion Engineering for many years, retiring in 1985. In 1971, George ‘discovered’ golf and became an avid golfer. He was a member of the East Hartford Senior League from 1985 to 2010, during which time he scored the elusive ‘hole-in-one’. George was a long-time Red Sox fan and, in his later years, he enjoyed fishing with this friend John Lazarowski. At 100 years of age, George was (amazingly) still reading the newspaper without the aid of glasses! George always had a sweet tooth and loved desserts, especially the home-made apple pies. George is survived by his three sons and daughters-in-law; William and Kathy Gudauskas of South Windsor, John and Myrtle Gudauskas of St. Pauls, NC, George and Cathy Gudauskas of Manchester, two daughters and sons-in-law; Shirley and Carl VonDassel of Lyme, Nancy and Bruce Bussiere of Canton, many grandchildren and great grandchildren. In addition to his parents and his wife, George was predeceased by his brother William Goode, and his sisters Albina Gagnon, Eleanor Pendzick, Madeline L’Heureux and half sister Aldonna Gessner. The family would like to extend their heartfelt thanks to Thelma Ellington, his in-home aid from Companions and Homemakers who, for the last four-plus years,provided loving care and companionship while watching Red Sox games, TV shows, and harvesting the ‘big boy’ tomatoes that George always grew during the summers. The family would also like to thank Natalie Minelli for her weekly prayer visits when it became too difficult for George to attend Sunday mass. Funeral services will be private, followed by a private burial with Military Honors at the Silver Lane Cemetery, East Hartford. There are no calling hours. In lieu of flowers, donations in George’s memory may be made to the Disabled American Veterans Association, 555 Willard Ave, Newington, CT 06111.