George Mushrush, Ph.D.

1940 ~ 2019

George Mushrush, Ph.D., age 79, passed away Friday, July 26, 2019 in Ormond Beach, Florida with his wife Sally at his bedside. A memorial service will be held at St. James' Episcopal Church on Saturday, August 10, 2019 at 11:00 a.m. followed by an inurnment service in the private estate garden at Daytona Memorial Park.

George was born to Mae MacBlane and Wilson George Mushrush and raised on his family's farm in Homer, a small town in the countryside of Pennsylvania. He was an only son with four younger sisters who loved him dearly.

He was gifted in the sciences and earned a full scholarship to Indiana University of Pennsylvania majoring in chemistry. He continued his education on a full scholarship to George Washington University earning his Ph.D. in organic chemistry.

Upon graduation he interned at the Goddard Space Center in Maryland then, at the age of 27, began teaching at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia. He taught for 48 years and was chairman of the chemistry department for ten years. During his tenure at George Mason, he also served as a research scientist for 30 years at the Washington D.C. Naval Research Lab and consulted with the U.S. Air Force. He was a 50-year member of the American Chemical Society in Washington D.C. and served as president. He also belonged to George Washington University fraternity chapters Sigma Xi and Alpha Xi Sigma.

George was considered an expert witness in biofuels and held four patents. He co-authored a book on petroleum, wrote over 300 published articles and delivered over 300 presentations on the synthesis of fuel systems, deicers,  and alternative fuels. As a professor, he taught with passion and his students deeply loved him. He enjoyed mentoring many chemistry doctorates and graduated many under his tutelage.  He often traveled as a speaker and was a consultant to international governments and with the U.S. Alaskan pipeline project.

George was a kind and loving man. He met and married his soulmate Sally in 1997 and they thoroughly enjoyed their 22 years of marriage. They traveled extensively and when at home one of George's favorite pastimes was time spent on his tractor on his farm in the countryside of Culpepper, VA. In 2015 they moved to Ormond Beach, FL to be near their daughter Sherry and son-in-law Roy Gailey.

George is survived by his loving wife Sara (Sally) Oates Mushrush; his four children Monna Despinis (Pete), St. Petersburg, FL, Laura McAndrew (Jeff), Leesburg, VA, David McClelland (Marshall), Leesburg, VA and Sherry Gailey (Roy); grandson Zachary Atkinson, Richmond, VA, four sisters Charlotte Schlemmer, Boardman, OH, Janet Claypoole, Boardman, OH, Nancy Brown, Las Vegas, NV, and Cynthia Bird (Jerrold), Las Vegas, NV, and many nieces and nephews.

Memorial Donations may be made in George's memory to St. James' Episcopal Church, 38 S. Halifax Dr. Ormond Beach, FL 32176 and/or the Halifax Humane Society, 2364 LPGA Blvd., Daytona Beach, FL 32124.

Condolences may be sent to the family at www.lohmanfuneralhome . Arrangements are under the careful direction of Lohman Funeral Home Ormond.