George Poppin ’42 on March 1, 2010.  He was the loving husband of Dorothy Edith Ritter Poppin; adored father of Nancy Ann Umland (Art) of Marysville, Thomas George Poppin (Lyn) of Palo Cedro, Joan Marie Mickelson of San Francisco, and Deborah Kathleen Jeffries of Hoopa; precious grandfather of  Matthew and Mark Posey, Thomas Poppin, Jr., Greg Tribulato, Jackie Williams (Todd), Shannon Powell (Kevin), Derek Jeffries and Marney Kubala (Jason); great grandfather of Chaylene and Jeremy, Derek, Jr, Phillip, Jacob, Brandon and Caleb, and Emily; great-great grandfather of Haliegh. George was born in Phoenix Arizona on August 31, 1918 to Russian immigrant parents. He died peacefully at home, surrounded by his loving family.  George met his sweetheart, Dottie,  at Siegler’s Springs in Lake County, California on the Fourth of July 1941.  It was love at first sight.  They married on June 24, 1944 in San Francisco, CA. George graduated from Commerce Evening High School and continued on to Santa Clara University with a full football scholarship. He graduated in 1942.  During WWII, he was stationed in Berlin, Germany.  He was the Chief Secretary of the Economic Directorate (United States Element) of the Allied Control Council.  He held the rank of Captain. During the Fall of 1945, he coached one of the first American football teams to play football in the history of Berlin, Germany. After the War, he pursued his master’s degree in Education from San Francisco State College.  His first teaching job was at George Washington High School in San Francisco during the fall of 1947.  He taught mechanical drawing and physical education and also became the head football coach. After teaching at Samuel Gompers Trades High School (John
O’Connell Vocational High School.) George transferred to Galileo High School in 1957.  It was there that he became the head football coach.  He taught many different types of classes, but primarily he taught U.S. History.  George and Dottie did some traveling after he retired from teaching in 1977.  They traveled to Beijing, China in 1983 and later to Russia and Turkey.  The purpose of the trips was to promote the love of roses.  George was the Head Rosarian at Golden Gate Park.  It was on the trip to Beijing that he brought roses from San Francisco and brought home roses from China.  George’s fascination with short-wave radio allowed him to become a  technical monitor for several international radio broadcasters: Australia, China, Israel, France, Turkey, Italy and England.  He monitored up until last year and enjoyed every moment.  Many interested people would write for information about how to listen to radio stations for their homeland.  George was gracious and helpful. Preceded in death were his parents John Fred and Hazel Nicholas Seminoff Poppin, brothers and sisters, John, Alice Pettibone, Jim, Nell Payne, Mary Andrews, Hazel Thompson, Dorothy Hollandsworth, Alex and Nick Papin, Fred, Bill and Hania Poppin, and Anna Seminoff.