George E. Membrino, 86

LEE, Mass. — George E. Membrino, born April 20, 1931, to Pasquale and Angela Pesa Membrino of Fitchburg, Mass., died on Monday, January 8, 2018, peacefully at home.

A 1952 graduate of Lowell State Teachers College, he majored in music education. George taught music in the Great Barrington and Longmeadow public schools. During the summers of 1953 and 1954, George studied conducting under Leonard Bernstein at the Tanglewood Music Center. He accepted a teaching position at Westfield State College in 1957, where he rose quickly to the position of Director of Graduate and Continuing Studies. George earned his PhD in 1966, in philosophy of education, at the University of Connecticut. He was then appointed Superintendent of Schools in Chicopee, Mass., a post he held for six years before forming Medical West in Chicopee, where he was The Project Director.

In 1977, George joined the University of Massachusetts Medical School and over the next 16 years, served as an Assistant Professor and Associate Dean for Continuing Education. For over 30 years he served as an educational consultant to the Massachusetts Medical Society and was granted a lifetime Achievement Award for his commitment to continuing medical education.

George was a life-long Rotarian (Paul Harris award recipient), a member of the Advisory Board of both the University of Lowell, the Lee Porchlight VNA and Brien Center. George was also a founding member of Sunshine Village in Chicopee and the Chicopee Rotary.

George will be deeply missed by his wife of 62 years, the former Jane Bartini; his four children, Pasquale of Holyoke, Diane and her husband Robert Wespiser of Lee, Marc of Pittsfield, and Julia and her husband Mark Hutton of Boxborough; his grandchildren, Bryan Wespiser and his wife Lisa, Adam Wespiser, Emily and her husband Stephen Andenmatten, Evan Hutton and Alexander Hutton. He also leaves two great-grandchildren, Georgia and Thomas Wespiser.

The family wishes to thank Dr. Tom Consolati, Dr. Robert Wespiser, Dr. Michael DeLeo and the nurses on the infusion floor, the staff at Porchlight VNA, especially Katie Camara, for their compassionate and loving care extended to George.

Funeral notice: Funeral Services for George E. Membrino will be held Friday, January 12, 2018, at 12:30 p.m. at St. Mary's Church with a Liturgy of Christian Burial celebrated by Fr. Brian McGrath, pastor. Burial will follow in St. Mary's Cemetery. Visiting hours will be Friday morning from 9 a.m. to noon at Kelly Funeral Home, Lee.

In lieu of flowers, donations in George’s memory may be made to the Porchlight VNA in support of the George E. Membrino Mentoring Project for the training of home health aides or The University of Massachusetts at Lowell in care of Kelly Funeral Home, 3 Main St., Lee, Massachusetts 01238.