George Lytton Baxter, Jr. Obituary (1931

George Lytton Baxter, a resident of Poulsbo, Washington, died peacefully at home the morning of December 15, 2024. Born May 17, 1931, in Port Chester, New York, George is preceded in death by his brother and sister-in-law, Liona and Robert Cesar Baxter, Sr, and his wife of 64 years Carol Calder Baxter. He attended Briarcliff High School in New York, where he met Carol who was the piano player for his High School musical theater production of Naughty Marietta. Later, George went on to Lowell Textile Institute where he was set to follow in his father's footsteps in textile chemistry. The sea, sky and service, however, called to George and he found his joy in service to his county in the US Navy. He served to the rank of Lt. Commander and was a decorated Navy pilot earning the Meritorious Service Medal for distinguished service. Having flown many missions from the USS Enterprise (The Big E), a first of its kind nuclear powered ship, George was stationed in Corpus Christi, Texas, Pensacola, Florida, Virginia Beach, Virginia, Jacksonville, Florida and Bethpage, New York. He finished his distinguished career as a test pilot for Grumman Aircraft Engineering Corporation. It was not long after his career with the Navy that he was recruited to fly the friendly skies of United Airlines in 1964 and worked until he retired at the age of 60 in 1991 as a DC-10 Captain. George lived with his family of 5 for 15 years in Setauket, NY and then they followed his daughters to the west coast where he and Carol spent the next 40 years on Vashon Island, WA. George was an active and energetic skier, scuba diver, traveler, tinkerer and gentleman farmer who loved to explore and experience life. He always had a sailboat and was an avid sailor in both the Setauket Yacht Club, New York and Quartermaster Yacht Club on Vashon Island. Some of his greatest travel memories were with his wife and three children on the boat up the New England coast up to Maine and Pacific Coast up to Canada and Alaska. He was also very active on land as well in the years after retiring as the Baxters spent many exciting travels exploring America in his classic GMC motorhome and serving as an officer in GMC International and GMC Cascaders. Annual trips to their beloved condo on Kauai and around the world travel to places like the Galapagos and Australia gave George and Carol much loved snorkeling time following fish and turtles. George was an active leader for Boy Scouts and the Kiwanis, and he loved to serve God at both the Church of the Holy Spirit on Vashon and St. Antony of Egypt Episcopal Church in Silverdale, Washington. Survivors include his daughters and (husbands), Holly (James) Foley of Poulsbo, Heather (C. William) George of Port Orchard and Son and (Husband), George (Travis) Baxter-Holder, 7 grandchildren; Patrick L. Foley, Bonnie A. Foley (DJ), Robert E. George, Bryan C. George (Kailey), William L George (Ashlee), Kathryn George-Polignoni (Michael), Shaun B. George, and 8 great-grandchildren; Donny, Owen, Peyton, Parker, Elexa, Taylor, Carol, and MJ. Services will be held at St. Antony of Egypt Episcopal Church located at 11885 Old Frontier Rd, Silverdale, WA on January 25, 2025 at 1pm. Memorial donations can be made to Kiwanis International or St Antony Episcopal of Silverdale. Arrangements entrusted to The Stone Chapel Poulsbo Mortuary in Poulsbo, Washington.