George Estock, Jr., 89, died Monday, June 3, 2019, at Baptist Memorial Hospital – North Mississippi in Oxford.  The funeral service will be held Saturday, June 8, 2019, at 2 p.m. at New El Bethel Baptist Church in Oxford, Mississippi, with Rev. Brad Burnett and Rev. Ron Jenkins officiating. Burial will be held in New El Bethel Cemetery. The visitation will be held Friday, June 7, 2019, from 4 p.m. until 8 p.m. at the church. Waller Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

 

George Estock, Jr. was born in Birmingham, Alabama on April 15, 1930.  He entered the United States Navy in 1948, married the love of his life Frances Simpson in 1949, and served honorably for 23 years, attaining the rank of Lieutenant Commander before retiring in June of 1971.  He began service as an Aviation Radio Technician and crewman, flying on dirigibles based out of Lakehurst New Jersey.  His weekends were often filled with hitchhiking trips from New Jersey to Alabama to see his new bride, while his weekdays were filled with anti-submarine patrols off the east coast.  After 2 years at Lakehurst, he was promoted to Petty Officer Second Class and received orders to Elizabeth City, North Carolina, where he continued to fly as a crewmember and electronics operator.  His next duty rotation took him to Pensacola, Florida, where he served as the Electronics Shop Supervisor, directing repair actions for inoperative and malfunctioning electronics in SNJ trainer aircraft.  He then moved back to New Jersey, serving as an Aviation Electronics Technician First Class on a 365-foot dirigible patrolling the east coast for Russian bombers.  It was during this tour, George was promoted to Chief Petty Officer, and subsequently reassigned to Advanced Electronics School in Memphis Tennessee, and while at that school was selected to attend Officer Candidate School. 

 

George’s career as an officer began with his assignment to the USS Fechteler, a radio picket destroyer based in Long Beach, California.  He served as a Combat Information Center Officer, whose area of operations was the Western Pacific.  After seven months in the Pacific, visiting Midway, the Philippines, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Okinawa, he returned home, was promoted to Lieutenant Junior Grade and received orders to the USS King, where he ultimately was promoted again and served as Operations Officer.  Three years later George was ordered to the Navy Electronics Laboratory in San Diego, California, and while there was promoted and selected to command his own ship, a 215-foot long deep-sea diving and salvage ship with a crew of 112 men.  With a move now to Hawaii behind him, George left his family for Vietnam, where he assumed command of his ship and ultimately returned to Pearl Harbor while serving 2 years as commander.    After a short reprieve though, George was once again tasked to return to Vietnam.  This time as an intelligence collection expert, where he received the Bronze Star for meritorious achievement in ground operations against hostile forces.   With a second year in Vietnam under his belt, he returned to the states, where he finished his career as the first Project Officer of the Navy’s AEGIS system.  This system allowed early detection, analysis, and countermeasure response to hostile aircraft and ships, with full integration capability between friendly assets.  It is now the standard among the US Naval Fleet.  And with that great achievement, serving during the Berlin Airlift and the Korean War, amassing over 5000 flight hours, and with 2 tours in Vietnam, George retired with 23 years of honorable service. 

 

Settling into civilian life, he worked as Scheduling Supervisor at Georgia Pacific in Oxford, Mississippi, for 20 years, where he retired in 1991.  His notable lifetime accomplishments include being a Golden Gloves Boxing Champion at the age of 17, President of the Oxford Exchange Club, charter member and Chairman of the Lafayette County Planning Commission, and recipient of the Bronze Star, Joint Service Commendation Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Vietnam Service Medal, Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal, and two Good Conduct Medals.  He was an awesome father to four children, a loving husband, and an example for others to follow.  His love of flowers, fishing, and duck and goose hunting was unmatched, and his service to the Lord and role as a deacon and Sunday School Superintendent in his church were his trademarks.  Always the one who knew just about everything about anything, his wisdom was called upon by many.  George will be missed.  But his legacy lives on. 

 

He was preceded in death by his parents, George and Althea McQueen Estock; wife, Frances Simpson Estock; son, Victor Warren Estock; and daughter-in-law, Cecelia Young Estock.

 

He is survived by his daughter, Debra Shoemaker and her husband, Medford, of Oxford; sons, Mike Estock of Oxford, and Steven Anthony “Tony” Estock and his wife, Karmyn, of Allons, Tennessee; sister, Ann Bowden of Tallahassee, Florida; 12 grandchildren and 20 great grandchildren.

 

Memorial contributions in Mr. Estock’s memory may be made to The Gideon Memorial Bible Chairman, PO Box 140800, Nashville, TN 37214.

 

In honor of Mr. Estock’s service the flag of the United Sates Navy will be flown at Waller Funeral Home.

 

For further information or to leave an online condolence, please call 662.234.7971 or visit www.wallerfuneralhome.com.