George C. Champion

HURLEY, Wis. — George C. Champion, 95, of Ironwood Township, Michigan, passed away on Dec. 12, 2020, at Villa Maria Health and Rehabilitation Center in Hurley due to COVID-19.

George was born on July 8, 1925, in Ironwood, Michigan, son of William R. and Edna (Johnson) Champion. He attended local schools and graduated from Luther L. Wright High School. He enlisted in the U.S. Army and served from Jan. 17, 1944, until his discharge on May 7, 1946, as a sergeant.

On July 2, 1949, he married Bonna Lee at the First Baptist Church in Kenosha.

George had many interests including snowmobiling, camping, fishing, and his love for boats. His skill as a wood craftsman is displayed in his and his children’s homes. He will be remembered fondly as the guy at Crystal Lake with the biggest tent room, his outings to Bonshell Café where he was known as “Grandpa,” and the great-grandchildren’s baseball and basketball games which made him very happy since he enjoyed seeing them play.

Dad was a devoted husband, father and grandfather.

He will be remembered for his numerous stories — about the first airplane to land at Gogebic County Airport; all his travels while he served in the Army Air Corps; the advancement in technology in his lifetime; about the building of the home he lived in and passing those skills onto Jim; and the beauty of any vehicle he owned and the care he took of them.

George is survived by his son, Gary (Mary Lynn) Champion; daughter, Georgia (Jim) Piilola; grandchildren, Dani (Bucky) Adamavich, and Jesse (Jessie) Piilola; great-grandchildren, Megan (Cameron) Holshouser, Cole (Ebanie) Prezkop, Brooke (Devon) DeRosso, Mathew (Cora) Snarski and Melissa Snarski; and great-great-grandchildren, Camden Holshouser and Rylee Holshouser.

He is preceded in death by his parents, William and Edna Champion; his wife, Bonna Lee; brother, Lloyd Champion; and sister, Dorothy.

A graveside service will take place at Sunset Acres Cemetery in Ironwood Township in the spring.

The family has chosen McKevitt-Patrick Funeral Home of Ironwood to honor George’s legacy of life. You can leave a condolence or a tribute at mckevittpatrickfuneralhome.com.