Obituary: George A. ('Mac') MacArthur

George A. ("Mac") MacArthur, 87, died June 23, 2012, in Port St. Lucie, Fla., after a brief illness.

George was born Nov., 20, 1924 in Waltham, son of Annie (Upton) and George D. MacArthur. He was the brother of the late Jean Wenk of Port St. Lucie, Fla. and the late Shirley Granfield of Tewksbury.

George and his wife Margaret (Leavitt) attended first grade together in Waltham, graduated together from Howe High School in Billerica in 1942 and got married June 2, 1945.

George served as a radioman in the Navy in Guadalcanal from 1942 to 1945.

He received his B.S. (1952), M.S. (1953) and Doctorate (1967) from Boston University.

George spent his career in education in Massachusetts, first as a teacher in Weston, then as an elementary supervisor in Templeton, and finally as superintendent in Lancaster, North Middlesex Regional School District, Norton and Wakefield. George was a member of many Massachusetts and national educational associations. He was a lifetime member of the National Eagle Scout Association, American Association of School Administrators and Phi Beta Kappa. Many of his writings were included in various educational publications.

He belonged to the VFW Post 10066 and the Stephen W. Gladwin American Legion Post 40.

George is survived by his wife of 66 years, Margaret (Leavitt) of Port St. Lucie, Fla.; his children, Diane Roza of Bridgewater and George MacArthur of Fort Pierce, Fla.; his five grandchildren, Neil Roza, Kathleen Ludwig and her husband Richard Ludwig, Carey MacArthur, Tracey MacArthur and Marlee MacArthur; his in-laws Mr. and Mrs. John Glavin of Billerica and Mr. and Mrs. Fred Bocko of Port St. Lucie, Fla.; and his nieces and nephews in Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Missouri and Florida.

A memorial service will be held Saturday, Aug. 18 at 11 a.m. at St. Anne's Episcopal Church in North Billerica.

One of George's favorite quotations, one that personified his life, is by Henry Drummond: "You will Find as you look back upon your life that the moments when you have really lived are the moments when you have done things in the spirit of love."