George R. Petty Jr. *49

George died April 25, 2023, in Buffalo, N.Y., at age 94. 

Born in Jersey City, N.J., he came to us from the Peddie School at age 16. He dined at Prospect Club and majored in English. 

George later joined Pan Am as a flight engineer. In 1957, at 28, he assumed leadership of the 4,000-member Flight Engineers International Association, the youngest president of an international union. Following unsuccessful negotiations with the airlines over the third crew member in the cockpit, he took early retirement from Pan Am and went to graduate school.

He earned a Ph.D. in 1967 from NYU in language and literature and then taught at SUNY Stonybrook and Montclair State University, from which he retired in 1998. 

George was prominent in the New York-New Jersey Trail Conference, authoring hiking guides. He wrote and published poetry throughout his life.

He made his final home with long-time partner Marilyn Ogus Katz in Clinton Corners, N.Y. He is survived by son George E. Petty and daughters Susan Petty ’73, Glenna Petty Leous, Lesley Petty Jones, and Barbara Petty; seven grandchildren; and one great-grandchild.