George Edward Nassif - Obituary

EORGE E NASSIF Feb 23, 1936 – December 13, 2022 If you asked George Nassif how old he was, he would tell you he was 31,704 days old on December 13, 2022. George celebrated every day of his life with joy and enthusiasm as a lover of his family, his church, Penn State, Navy Football, and Annapolis. George Edward Nassif was born in Altoona, Pennsylvania, on February 23, 1936, to John and Sadie Nassif (both deceased). He is survived by his brother, Bob (Arlene), of Altoona, Pennsylvania, and numerous nephews, nieces, and other extended family members. He was preceded in death by his sisters, Helen Haje (Albert), Ernestine McLoota (Sam), Lula Brown (Abraham), and Mary Smith (Terry), and brothers, Ernie (Sadie), Albert, and Johnny. George graduated from Altoona High School in 1954 and attended Penn State University, majoring in finance and marketing. He then served in the U.S. Army. While in basic training, he was awarded both the company and battalion outstanding trainee. While in Altoona, he worked in family businesses and moved to Annapolis in 1967. A natural people person he began working in retail for Peerless Clothing at their Main Street location and Parole Plaza and was known throughout the state as the clothier to the legislature. He left clothing to work in advertising which became his love and passion. His career in advertising began at The Annapolitan magazine with his office on the waterfront in Eastport. He walked the streets of Annapolis every day and had a good working and friendly relationship with every business owner in town. He left the Annapolitan for the Evening Capital where he was a sales and advertising rep for over 25 years. While at the Capital he received national awards and recognition for his ads, photos, and ad campaigns. He was an amateur photographer who was proud of the pictures he took over the past 5 decades for fun and his ads. After retiring from the Capital, he took a position with the Anne Arundel County Chamber of Commerce as their goodwill ambassador for all of Annapolis. After his second retirement from the Chamber he printed up personal Business Cards that read, “GEORGE E. NASSIF, RETIRED. MAKE ME AN OFFER”. His drive and zest for life were fueled by his love of involvement and giving a jovial smile to all those he met. He had to be involved and active. That was his life! George volunteered his time to make Annapolis a better place. Because of his hard work and dedication and love for his job, George left things better than he found them. He was passionate about improving the look and feel of downtown Annapolis and was instrumental in helping local businesses grow. He walked Annapolis daily and helped local businesses build creative ad campaigns. Their success was his reward and satisfaction. No business was too small for George’s creative talents. He had great ideas and Annapolis trusted and liked him to help it move forward. He supported Annapolis and bought his holiday, birthday, and special occasion gifts from local businesses and frequented every restaurant in town. He supported Annapolis with his time, energy, devotion, great ideas, and ever-present smile. George was a major supporter of the Annapolis Business Association, Midnite Madness, and the flowers and greening of downtown Annapolis. He was clearly a man for all seasons and the goodwill ambassador for Annapolis who always greeted you with a smile, a joke, and knew great Annapolis Trivia. George always had new and innovative ideas to help make Annapolis a better place to live, work and visit for its residents and visitors Ask the business owners in Annapolis, George was usually the first customer to any new business. He wanted to be their first customer to show his support and his congratulatory dollar bills were proudly displayed on their walls or behind the bars. As a lover of Jazz, George frequented the Maryland Inn to enjoy their nationally recognized musicians in the 1980s. They all knew George and they often would open their sets with a selection requested by George like “Accentuate the Positive”, “Violets for your Furs” or “Send in the Clowns”. He often entertained a Governor, state senators, and delegates with his personality, his zest for life his palm reading, and his uncanny ability to perform ESP mind games. He was a mainstay at the Ski Lift Room at Spiros restaurant in Eastport. His selflessness made him a great contributor to charities. He raised over $8000 for the Annapolis Business Association with pledges from friends and clients betting on how much weight he would lose. As a Rotarian, he rarely if ever missed a meeting at the Rotary Club of Parole. He planned his vacations around those meetings and planned his travel to towns with Rotary clubs. He helped to form the Annapolis chapter of the Penn State Alumni Club and met weekly during football and basketball season to watch them play. The Navy football team honored him for the cakes he presented to the team prior to Army Navy football. He touched the lives of everyone he met and brought joy to so many people including families of midshipmen he would stop on the streets to ask if they needed directions and tell them the best places to eat and shop in Annapolis. One of his favorite comments to those he would greet was, "I am not a tourist I live here, But if I was a tourist I would want to live here.” Annapolis became his home and he made sure everyone knew it. For the past decade, George could be found in the morning eating his old-fashioned donut and drinking coffee with friends to talk about Annapolis, sports, or world politics. Then he would walk downtown and greet people in the shops, restaurants, and on the street. He played a daily round of Keno after lunch and ended his days with a friendly hand of Texas Hold’em at a local spot, or as a participant in Trivia contests all over town. He watched Penn State and Navy sports whenever they were on and worked crossword puzzles and put together thousand-piece puzzles in his spare time. He was known on St. Patrick’s Day as the Lebanese Leprechaun (He was very proud of his Lebanese heritage), Santa Clause or Scrooge at Midnite Madness, and the unofficial Mayor of Annapolis. He was known to many as George, "Uncle George" or "great Uncle George". He always brought laughter and joy to family occasions. Some of his greatest joys came from the times he would spend with family and show them off to the rest of the world. He bragged about his family to everyone. And people love and respected George. Just read all the comments about George on his Facebook pages, the Chamber announcements, the Penn State Annapolis Chapter website, and the Downtown Annapolis postings. George was truly the richest man in Annapolis because of all of his friends and compassion, a little like George Bailey which is very befitting at Christmas Time. George was a member of the St. George’s Antiochian Orthodox Church in Altoona and then Saints Peter and Paul Orthodox Antiochian Church in Potomac, Maryland. When traveling and in the service, he looked for an Orthodox Church to attend. Friends are invited to celebrate George's life on Tuesday, January 3 from 2 to 8 pm at the Kalas Funeral Home & Crematory, 2973 Solomons Island Rd., Edgewater, MD and on Wednesday, January 4 from 9 am until his funeral service begins at 10 am at Ss. Peter and Paul Antiochian Orthodox Christian Church, 10620 River Rd., Potomac, MD 20854. Interment will follow at 1:45 pm at the Maryland Veterans Cemetery in Crownsville, MD. 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