George Washington East

George Washington East Jr. “Buddy” was born in Portsmouth, VA in June of 1943 where he grew up with two sisters Betty Sue and Gloria, his mom Sue and WWII Navy veteran father George Washington East, Sr. Buddy wasn’t keen on his given name so his grandfather called him “my little buddy” and his family called him Buddy from then on.  Buddy met Bette Parker in Sunday School when they were children. They were sweethearts until they married in March of 1963.

Buddy and Bette had two sons while he was an Apprentice Draftsman in the Norfolk Navel Shipyard. He escaped the never-ending rumors of base closures when he was recruited by Superior Steel Company in Queens, New York. He often looked underneath Post-Office mailboxes on any given street in the Empire State to see if it was one, he drafted, and his shop fashioned.

A new position at IBM shifted his commute to Fishkill, NY and a few years later Bette’s desire to get back South was fulfilled with a move to Raleigh. It was in Research Triangle Park where Buddy worked with a team of engineers to push out early versions of IBM’s PC and laptops. As his boys left the nest, Bette and Buddy moved to Wake Forest and then to Pittsboro, NC in 2002 after retiring from IBM.

Whether it was in Portsmouth, suburban New York, or in the Triangle, Buddy made sure his family was involved in a church. There he served as an usher, a Sunday School Superintendent, and in Benevolent ministry. The sons knew they were expected to be in church three to four times a week.

Buddy set a high standard of work ethic, love and support for his family and was the best Granddaddy you’ll ever meet. He dearly loved his three granddaughters and made it a point to catch as many soccer matches, art shows and musical performances as he could.

Buddy is survived by his wife Bette of Pittsboro, NC, his sister Gloria of Virginia Beach, VA, his son Carl and daughter-in-law Jill of Lake Wylie, SC, son Brad and daughter-in-law Allison of Apex, NC and granddaughters Elizabeth, Margaret, and Madeline Nicole.

A memorial service for the family will be private. In leu of flowers please consider a donation to Alzheimer’s Association at https://www.alz.org/