Rash's Surname Index
Notes for George W. STRAWBRIDGE
George Strawbridge Sr. was a slim, dapper man known for his immaculate dress and immense charm in the corporate boardrooms at Janney Montgomery Scott Inc., where he was a senior vice president and director.
But Mr. Strawbridge also had a less-glamorous side that endeared him to his family and friends.
On weekends, Mr. Strawbridge, a former amateur steeplechase rider, was usually out golfing. And when he wasn't, he could be found behind the wheel of his green John Deere tractor, wearing a green John Deere baseball cap, as he mowed his lawn at his Happy Hollow farm in Malvern.
Mr. Strawbridge, 80, died of a heart attack Tuesday at the Union League in Center City before a meeting was to begin.
"George Strawbridge was one of the finest gentleman I ever knew," said Norman Wilde, president of the Janney Montgomery Scott, a stock brokerage firm.
"He was the embodiment of what everybody else would like to be," Wilde said. "He was probably the most popular person we have had in this office. It's a terrible loss. This office is in a state of shock."
"He had endless charm and endless humor," said his son, George Strawbridge Jr. "He was an absolute avid golfer. He would make any golf game fun, no matter how bad it was going for him or anyone else."
An elegant dresser, Mr. Strawbridge, who looked decades younger than his age, wore the clothes of a bygone era, double-breasted suits and old- fashioned shirts with cufflinks.
At the office, he was known for his "statesmanship," Wilde said. "George had an ability to handle people well and to work well with people and bridge all sorts of constituencies."
At home, he was "the consummate gentleman," his son said. "He was always considerate, patient and polite, and just so thoughtful."
At Christmas, Mr. Strawbridge passed out envelopes with money or checks stuffed in them to all of his nephews, nieces and grandchildren. He didn't stop giving even though some of his nephews were in their 40s.
He also had a thing for lawnmowers.
"He loved lawnmowers," his son said. "He loved to mow and get things tidy."
"That was his escape," said Mr. Strawbridge's stepson, Edgar R. Owen Jr.
"Some men will go out and buy a power boat or a Ferrari or a plane, but he really loved a tractor," Owen said.
And when his tractor broke down, Mr. Strawbridge took particular delight in fixing it himself, George Strawbridge Jr. said. Mr. Strawbridge also insisted on doing his own taxes every year.
Mr. Strawbridge was a Princeton University graduate who served in the Army
from 1941 until 1945, attaining the rank of major.
His first wife was Margaret Dorrance, daughter of Dr. John T. Dorrance, who was head of the Campbell Soup Co. She died in 1953.
Mr. Strawbridge was a trustee and president of the Margaret Dorrance Strawbridge Foundation. He also was trustee of the Steeplechase Fund for Injured Jockeys and was a former president of the National Steeplechase and Hunt Association.
He was a member of the Philadelphia Club, the Rolling Rock Club in Ligonier, Pa., the Lyford Cay Club in the Bahamas, the Gulph Mills County Club and the Vicmead Hunt Club in Maryland.
Besides his son and stepson, he is survived by his wife, the former Bruner Hunneman; daughter, Diana Strawbridge Norris; a sister , and six grandchildren.
A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. tomorrow at St. Davids Episcopal Church, South Valley Forge Road, in Wayne. Memorial contributions can be sent to the Steeplechase Fund, 400 Fairhill Drive, Elkton, Md. 21921.
Copyright (c) 1990 The Philadelphia Inquirer
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