George Felix Rountree

George was born April 28, 1935 in the Miller House Hospital on Main Street, Porterville, California. George joined a sister and his parents, living in Exeter for the first five years of his life. The family moved to Porterville before the Second World War, and began living in the family home on Tea Pot Dome Avenue.
George’s grandmother was one of five sisters who had migrated to the Porterville area in the early 1890’s. George was very proud of his extended family. The relatives often gathered at the Tea Pot Dome home. George was the youngest of all the cousins, hence his nickname, Baby George. Most of his relatives rest at Vandalia Cemetery.
Living on the family farm during the war years was both exciting and frustrating for George. His father needed a lot of help on the citrus ranch, combined with the usual farm chores of milking a cow, feeding a pig, and gathering eggs. But young George was frustrated that there was no candy, due to the “war effort”. This affected him his whole life, for he constantly hoarded candy and cookies throughout the house.
George was very successful in the Cadet Corp at Porterville High School and won top marksman awards on the state level. He was very proud to graduate from Porterville High in 1954, following in his mother’s steps (class of 1915).
After high school George married Janice, and they had two children, Brenda and Bryon. The family lived in San Jose, so that George could complete his college education. He returned to the valley, living and teaching for five years in Orosi, and then came home to Porterville when his father died in 1965 to help with the citrus orchard. Three years later, George lost both his mother and his wife, and settled into the family home on Tea Pot Dome, and finished a thirty two year teaching career at Porterville High School.
George was teaching, raising two children and taking care of the citrus. He married Mary Ann, a fellow teacher at the high school. After a short time, they divorced.
Early in 1974, George met Diane, a first year Citrus High School teacher, at a swim meet. That summer they married, and in 1975, Brenda married Mark Shepard.
George and Diane bought more acreage and continued farming after retirement from teaching. There were many trips to Hawaii, the Pacific coast, Death Valley and a Madera County cabin. Brenda and Mark planned motor coach adventures to locales like Sedona, Yellowstone, Alaska and Arizona. At almost every stop there was a ice cream celebration… in fact the family remembers certain towns for the licorice ice cream or hula pie. The years passed, the family grew, as grandchildren, Brad Shepard and Kari Shepard married their spouses, Amy Dinh and Mark Aguiar. George was incredibly proud of his five great grandchildren. In 2020, George and Diane bought a home in Camp Nelson.
At age eighty six, George gratefully turned over the farming to his son in law and two grandsons and spent more time at Camp Nelson. He did irrigate the home acreage himself just six weeks ago.
He passed away in Porterville on Tuesday, July 26, 2022. A graveside service will be held at Vandalia Cemetery in Porterville on Thursday August 4, 2022 at 10:00 AM. In lieu of flowers, the family would like any memorial donations to go to the Porterville Museum.
To light a virtual candle, share a memory, or express condolences to the family, please visit the tribute section of our website at www.myersfuneral.com/obituaries . Myers Funeral Service & Crematory in Porterville is in charge of arrangements.