Chapter Eternal - George Remmey Jr. '57
George B. Remmey, Jr. 1957 LaVie Portrait
We have been honored to call this man our Brother. The condolences of Theta Chi’s extended worldwide family are offered to the family and friends of our deceased brother.
It is with great sadness that we report the passing of:
George B. Remmey, Jr. - April 18, 2023
George Bickley Remmey Jr. of Newtown passed away at home on April 18, 2023. He was 87.
Beloved husband of Marjorie "Jeri" of 65 years. Loving father of their three children George Bickley III and his wife Kathy, the late Scott and his wife Bonnie and Christopher and his wife Claudine. He is also survived by a sister Jeanne Hoeppner, seven grandchildren Virginia, G. Bickley IV, Kevin, Rebecca, Alexander, Blaire, Sophie and seven great grandchildren Priscilla, G. Bickley V, William, Tenley, Vivian, Juliet and Rory.
The son of G. Bickley and Dorothe Remmey he was born in Philadelphia on June 21, 1935. When Bick was five they moved to the Jenkintown area of Montgomery county where he lived until he got married. Bick graduated from Abington High School in 1953 and Penn State University in 1957 with a degree in Ceramic Engineering. Shortly after graduation he married Marjorie "Jeri" Wilson and started in the Ceramic business.
In 1960 he went to work for a new company started by his father called Bickley Furnaces. This company introduced a radical new design of kiln for firing industrial Ceramic's. The company grew from the smallest in the field in the USA to the largest in 20 years. Bick was Vice President of sales when the company was sold in 1979. Two years later Bick left Bickley Furnaces and went into the Hydraulics business. After 8 years in the hydraulics business, he returned to his first love which was the Ceramic Kiln business as a consultant. During his time as a consultant, he worked for his old company Bickley Furnaces that had been resold again and then for the last 10 years Swindell Dressler of Pittsburgh. When he was a consultant, he also lectured at universities that offered degree programs in ceramic engineering including Rutgers, Penn State, Ohio State, Alfred Univ. and Clemson. He authored a text book entitled "Firing Ceramics" that was used by universities and Industries. Bick retired in 2002.
Bick and Jeri lived their first year of marriage in Mexico, Missouri and then returned to the Philadelphia area. They lived in Flourtown, Montgomery County for 4.5 years and then moved to Southampton Bucks County in 1962. After 8 years in Southampton they moved to Yardley in 1970. Yardley is where they raised their kids, had an awful lot of fun and stayed for 32 years. After Bick's retirement 2002 they usually spent 6 months in Newtown, 4 months in their house in Avalon, NJ. and 2 months in Boca Grande, Florida.
Bick enjoyed skiing, tennis, golf, boating and gardening as well as being a huge Penn State and Eagles football fan. He got into boating only after they bought a house on the bay in Avalon that had a boat slip. He enjoyed cruising and took many boat trips to the Chesapeake, plus boat trips to North Carolina and Montreal Canada. Bick enjoyed navigation and got his Captains license from the Coast Guard in 1993. In 1996 and 1997 he and Jeri took the longest inland cruise possible in the USA which was 5400 miles long around the entire eastern, USA. In 1999 Bick wrote a book about the trip entitled "The Great Circle Cruise". Thousands of copies were sold and an updated edition was published in 2007 by a California publisher. His interests in gardening started when he lived in Yardley and developed an English style garden that bloomed from late march to Thanksgiving. After moving to Newtown, he took over care of the Memorial Garden at St. Lukes Episcopal Church. Every spring he planted 500 annuals to compliment the perennial flowers in the garden.
After retirement, besides playing golf Bick had five different volunteer jobs all at the same time to stay busy. Besides taking care of the St Luke's Garden he was a tour guide at Pennsbury Manor and Washington Crossing Park. He also was an Archivist at the Newtown Historical Society and worked at the Avalon History Center.
Relatives and friends are invited to Bick's Life Celebration Wednesday April 26, 2023 after 10:00am at St Luke's Episcopal Church, 100 Washington Ave, Newtown, PA 18940. Followed by his Memorial Service at 10:30AM. Interment to follow in the Churches Urn Garden. In lieu of flowers donations in Bick's memory may be made to Newtown Historical Society, 105 Court St, Newtown, PA 18940
Life Celebration services entrusted to Swartz Givnish of Newtown.
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