Obituary: George S. Houston
November 13, 1965 - February 25, 2024
March 15, 2024
George S. Houston, 1965-2024
George S. Houston of West Haven, Connecticut, passed away on February 25, 2024 after a long journey with non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. George was born November 13, 1965, at Heaton Hospital in Montpelier, Vermont, the son of Kenneth W. Houston and Theresa (Valcour) Houston. George grew up in the Duxbury Corners neighborhood of Duxbury, Vermont and attended Duxbury Elementary School and Harwood Union High School as a member of the class of 1983.
George worked throughout high school, most notably at the Waterbury P&C market. In 1986, George entered the University of Toronto in Toronto, Ontario, Canada to pursue studies in history and philosophy. In 1990 he received a BA Honors degree in Medieval Studies and Philosophy from University College, University of Toronto, followed in 1992 by an MA in History from the University of Toronto, School of Graduate Studies. Although George did not pursue an academic career as he had intended, he always regarded his experiences in Toronto as among the most important of his life and transformative to his view of himself and the world.
In 1992, George returned to Duxbury and worked several odd jobs in the Central Vermont area including woodworking and assembly work at Bombardier Mass Transit. Through these jobs, he discovered a new passion for working with his hands and mastering the manufacturing process. In 1995, George took a position at a new company in Stowe, Vermont, called Northern Lights, LLC (later Label Systems, Inc.), dedicated to the production and conversion of holographic images into high-value security devices for Brand Protection and Licensing. Starting from the bottom rung of the company ladder, George worked his way up to become a machine operator and later, assistant production manager, on the way developing a fascination and love for printing and converting that stayed with him for the rest of his life.
In 1999, Label Systems, Inc. sold the operation in Stowe to another company, and the facility was closed. George accepted an offer to relocate to Connecticut and began working for Label Systems in their security converting facility in Bridgeport. At that time, Label Systems was entering into a joint venture with the DuPont Corporation to explore the security potential of DuPont photopolymer holographic products. George accepted the position of production manager for the new project and worked with the team in Connecticut as well as DuPont teams in Wilmington, Delaware, and Logan, Utah. Through the hard work and determination of all involved, the project became a success resulting in security programs for many Fortune 500 companies, including Nokia, AMD, Cisco Systems, and many others.
At the same time, George began a secondary role in Quality Assurance at Label Systems. In 2001, he was named Quality Assurance Manager and ISO 9001 Representative for the facility, a role he maintained for the rest of his career, later becoming Director of Quality for the organization.
After the Dupont joint venture ended in 2005, George transitioned to the role of Technical Director, and later director of Product Development for the company. In his role as lead in the development of new products and programs for the company, George traveled extensively both domestically and internationally, including trips through Asia, including stops in cities like Beijing, Tianjin, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Shanghai, and Singapore. George enjoyed traveling in support of Label Systems’ programs and customers, meeting global team members, and enjoying exposure to different cultures.
In 2011, Label Systems closed, and the facility and assets were purchased by Securemark Decal out of Chicago and its parent company Hologram Industries with headquarters outside of Paris, France. George resumed his role as an employee of Securemark Decal, continuing his work in brand protection as well as supporting new product lines in vehicle and personal identification. As a result of a global re-branding, Securemark Decal later became SURYS, where George worked for the remainder of his career. George managed many projects for SURYS over the years and was especially proud of the opportunity he had through SURYS to mentor young engineers from the EU through the VIE program. This reactivated his lifelong love of education, and several of these experiences would start long-term friendships.
While living in Connecticut in 2004, a chance meeting introduced George to Helen Byler, a beautiful artist who became the love of his life. Helen and George embarked on a long and wonderful relationship that culminated in their marriage in a simple ceremony at their West Haven, Connecticut, home in 2018. Helen and George were inseparable, sharing a deep love for art, literature, culture, and the outdoors as well as the joys of caring for their many dogs and cats whom they considered their friends. They lived an active lifestyle of long walks every day in all kinds of weather, and countless weekend adventures on the roads of Connecticut and beyond. They also enjoyed quiet time sitting in the flower garden they planted and nurtured in the yard of their home. They felt blessed to find each other and enjoyed many years of happiness.
George is survived by his beloved wife Helen Houston of West Haven. He is also survived by his sister, Claudia Houston of Murfreesboro, Tennessee, his niece Stephanie McQuinn and her husband Tim of Lenoir, North Carolina, his niece Nicole Lashua of Nashville, Tennessee, and one grand-nephew and one grand-niece.
It was George’s intention that no formal service be held on his behalf. However, it was his fervent wish that if his family and friends wish to gather to remember and celebrate all the good times that they had together, they do so in a way that they feel appropriate, outdoors if possible. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of America.
To leave online messages of condolence, visit the obituary with the Hawley Lincoln Funeral Home in New Haven, Connecticut.