George Sargent

Tuesday morning, November 5, 2024, George Sargent, a man full of faith and courage passed from death unto life. Though he faced cancer, he continued to live each day with fullness and joy, deeply engaged with his beloved family and friends.

Born on July 20, 1944, in Flint, Michigan, George was the youngest of five sons to Robert and Christiana Sargent. A natural athlete, George excelled in almost every sport, particularly embracing rock climbing, a passion that led him twice up Devil’s Tower in Wyoming. An adventurer at heart, he also loved motorcycles and scooters, adding one to his collection this year, and was still on the tennis court this fall.

George earned his BS, MS, and PhD from Michigan State University. He began his career as an engineer at General Motors and EDS, ultimately finding his true calling as a professor at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater in management information systems. His students and colleagues remember him as an inspiring and generous teacher, beloved by all.

George leaves behind his loving wife, Jackie; daughters Laura (Scott) Drummond and Christiana Childs; and four cherished grandsons: Jack, James, William, and Matthew. He is also survived by two older brothers, Robert and James Sargent, his brother-in-law, John Pitt (Pam), and his second family: Mebo, Mariko, Yukiko, and Taishi Ikeda. He will be greatly missed by his childhood friend of 76 years: Tom Brushaber.

George was a truly good man: generous in spirit, forgiving, brilliant yet humble, and kind to his core. He found endless joy spending time with family, from Sunday dinners to family trips across the U.S., Europe, and Newfoundland, to Caribbean sailing adventures. If his daughters or grandsons had an idea, he was always ready for it—paragliding, rock climbing, mountain carting, downhill skiing, or just tossing a ball around. His energy for his family was boundless, and he was never too busy to be their greatest playmate and mentor.

George became a Christian in his teens and remained steadfast in his faith throughout his life. His belief was logical, rooted in Scripture, and unwavering. He was deeply loved and will be missed beyond words, yet his family looks forward with hope to being together again one day in heaven.

A service will be held at Cornerstone Presbyterian Church (N6 W31449 Alberta Drive, Delafield) at 2:00 pm on Tuesday, November 12, with visitation beginning at noon. In lieu of flowers, donations to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation in honor of Matthew Drummond are appreciated: https://give.cff.org/wisconsin/Donate