Obituary for George E Straley Jr.
George Edwin Straley, Jr. of Carteret, NJ, passed away quietly on January 4, 2021. He was predeceased by his beloved wife of 45 years, Philomena Straley (nee Iaconetti) and their son, George Michael Straley. George was born in Jersey City, NJ, on July 27th, 1926, to devoted parents George Edwin Straley, Sr. and Charlotte Straley. George was also a loving brother to Arthur Straley and Elizabeth Straley Maiorino.
George grew up in Jersey City, and after graduation from William L. Dickinson High School in 1944, he enlisted in the US Navy. Upon completing training at the Naval Aviation School in Florida, George served as radioman / dorsal gunner, part of the 3-man crew of the legendary Grumman Avenger, the heaviest single engine plane and most efficient torpedo bomber of World War II. Upon his discharge from the Navy, George was given an aptitude test to identify the career path he was most suited for. The best fit for George: actor.
In spite of his love for the theater, George had no desire to be an actor, and instead enrolled in a liberal arts curriculum at Jersey City Junior College. He then went on to pursue a path more aligned with his interests—art and interior design. After a course of study at the New York School of Interior Decoration in Manhattan, George continued his studies and graduated from the distinguished Whitman School of Interior Design on Manhattan’s Upper West Side.
He then launched a long career implementing his interior design and decorating expertise, working with the celebrated Manhattan-based fabric house Stroheim and Romann, known as a leader among the world’s most respected fabric houses offering exquisite upholstery fabrics and wall coverings. In the late 1960s, George parlayed his skills in salesmanship into a new career as a field underwriter for Home Life Insurance Company, which he continued until his retirement.
At the close of 1946, George went to spend an evening at the roller skating rink in Bayonne, NJ. As he often recalled, “A pretty girl caught my eye.” That was our mother, Philomena Iaconetti, at the time an 18-year-old nurses training cadet at Holy Name Hospital in Teaneck, NJ. He asked her if she’d like to skate, and so they skated into a life together, marrying on September 3, 1949.
In the early 1960s, George and Philomena moved with their family of 7 children to Carteret, NJ. An 8th child would soon be on the way. It was in Carteret that George discovered what at last would be his lifelong passion: acting. At the behest of his new neighbors, he joined the Saint Joseph’s Players, the town’s local theater group. Working behind the scenes at first, George soon made his acting debut as Beverly Carlton, a character inspired by famed playwright Noel Coward, in their production of “The Man Who Came to Dinner.” This led to roles in dozens of plays with various theater groups, including the key role as William, the waiter in a 1990s NYC Playlab production of George Bernard Shaw’s “You Never Can Tell.”
In 1999, at the age of 73, George went on the road across the US and into Canada with a touring company, appearing as the grandfather in a production of “Meet Me in St. Louis.” He continued his acting pursuits well into his late 70s and 80s, including the pivotal role of Candy in a well-reviewed 2004 production of John Steinbeck’s “Of Mice and Men.” George once remarked, “I never wanted to be an actor, but once you got me onstage, you couldn’t get me off.”
George also put his acting skills to work in TV commercials, played a pot-smoking grandpa in the hilarious 2004 short film “Fishing for Trauster,” worked as an extra in films such as “Scent of a Woman” and “Mona Lisa’s Smile” and even appeared in a Freddie Mercury video for MTV.
A man of many talents, George was also an avid photographer, enjoyed making collages and painting in different mediums, from water colors to oils to acrylics, and wrote and performed comedy skits—one of his jokes was published by Playboy Magazine. He also loved to read and attend Broadway shows with his wife Philomena, and endlessly entertained his children with stories and impromptu performances that left them in stitches and with excursions that ranged from flying kites to blackberry picking to trips to the beach and to NYC to see Santa at Macy’s.
Throughout his life, George was a champion of his wife Philomena’s chosen profession as a registered nurse. Following Philomena’s passing in October, 1994, George petitioned then governor of NJ Christie Whitman to issue a proclamation honoring the memory of Philomena Straley and commending the dedicated work of all New Jerseyans engaged in “the noble profession of nursing.” On June 19, 1995, the proclamation was issued in a formal state ceremony at the state capitol in Trenton, NJ. The recognition for his wife and her fellow nurses stands as one of George Straley’s proudest achievements.
George is survived by his children Carol (James Vidos) Straley; Robert (Pam) Straley; Janet (Dan) Hurley; Arthur (Linda) Straley; John (Kathy) Straley; Eric (Cathleen) Straley and Marianne Straley, as well as 12 grandchildren and 9 great-grandchildren.
We hope to have a celebration of George’s wonderful life later in 2021.
George grew up in Jersey City, and after graduation from William L. Dickinson High School in 1944, he enlisted in the US Navy. Upon completing training at the Naval Aviation School in Florida, George served as radioman / dorsal gunner, part of the 3-man crew of the legendary Grumman Avenger, the heaviest single engine plane and most efficient torpedo bomber of World War II. Upon his discharge from the Navy, George was given an aptitude test to identify the career path he was most suited for. The best fit for George: actor.
In spite of his love for the theater, George had no desire to be an actor, and instead enrolled in a liberal arts curriculum at Jersey City Junior College. He then went on to pursue a path more aligned with his interests—art and interior design. After a course of study at the New York School of Interior Decoration in Manhattan, George continued his studies and graduated from the distinguished Whitman School of Interior Design on Manhattan’s Upper West Side.
He then launched a long career implementing his interior design and decorating expertise, working with the celebrated Manhattan-based fabric house Stroheim and Romann, known as a leader among the world’s most respected fabric houses offering exquisite upholstery fabrics and wall coverings. In the late 1960s, George parlayed his skills in salesmanship into a new career as a field underwriter for Home Life Insurance Company, which he continued until his retirement.
At the close of 1946, George went to spend an evening at the roller skating rink in Bayonne, NJ. As he often recalled, “A pretty girl caught my eye.” That was our mother, Philomena Iaconetti, at the time an 18-year-old nurses training cadet at Holy Name Hospital in Teaneck, NJ. He asked her if she’d like to skate, and so they skated into a life together, marrying on September 3, 1949.
In the early 1960s, George and Philomena moved with their family of 7 children to Carteret, NJ. An 8th child would soon be on the way. It was in Carteret that George discovered what at last would be his lifelong passion: acting. At the behest of his new neighbors, he joined the Saint Joseph’s Players, the town’s local theater group. Working behind the scenes at first, George soon made his acting debut as Beverly Carlton, a character inspired by famed playwright Noel Coward, in their production of “The Man Who Came to Dinner.” This led to roles in dozens of plays with various theater groups, including the key role as William, the waiter in a 1990s NYC Playlab production of George Bernard Shaw’s “You Never Can Tell.”
In 1999, at the age of 73, George went on the road across the US and into Canada with a touring company, appearing as the grandfather in a production of “Meet Me in St. Louis.” He continued his acting pursuits well into his late 70s and 80s, including the pivotal role of Candy in a well-reviewed 2004 production of John Steinbeck’s “Of Mice and Men.” George once remarked, “I never wanted to be an actor, but once you got me onstage, you couldn’t get me off.”
George also put his acting skills to work in TV commercials, played a pot-smoking grandpa in the hilarious 2004 short film “Fishing for Trauster,” worked as an extra in films such as “Scent of a Woman” and “Mona Lisa’s Smile” and even appeared in a Freddie Mercury video for MTV.
A man of many talents, George was also an avid photographer, enjoyed making collages and painting in different mediums, from water colors to oils to acrylics, and wrote and performed comedy skits—one of his jokes was published by Playboy Magazine. He also loved to read and attend Broadway shows with his wife Philomena, and endlessly entertained his children with stories and impromptu performances that left them in stitches and with excursions that ranged from flying kites to blackberry picking to trips to the beach and to NYC to see Santa at Macy’s.
Throughout his life, George was a champion of his wife Philomena’s chosen profession as a registered nurse. Following Philomena’s passing in October, 1994, George petitioned then governor of NJ Christie Whitman to issue a proclamation honoring the memory of Philomena Straley and commending the dedicated work of all New Jerseyans engaged in “the noble profession of nursing.” On June 19, 1995, the proclamation was issued in a formal state ceremony at the state capitol in Trenton, NJ. The recognition for his wife and her fellow nurses stands as one of George Straley’s proudest achievements.
George is survived by his children Carol (James Vidos) Straley; Robert (Pam) Straley; Janet (Dan) Hurley; Arthur (Linda) Straley; John (Kathy) Straley; Eric (Cathleen) Straley and Marianne Straley, as well as 12 grandchildren and 9 great-grandchildren.
We hope to have a celebration of George’s wonderful life later in 2021.