George Curtis Toalson

With great sadness, the family of George Curtis Toalson, the Patriarch of our family, passed away peacefully on the morning of Thursday, April 23, 2020, at the age of 88 years. George was born on June 27, 1931 in Pearsall, Texas. He graduated in 1949 from Pearsall High School. He married Jimmie Nan Mangan November 16, 1953, and they were married 63 years, 5 months and 11 days. George was a brilliant man, and a hard worker. He was an avid reader, a talented musician, and could sometimes be a walking encyclopedia. Although he didn’t do much cooking, he’d not hesitate to tell you if you’d done it wrong. You could cook a meal to gourmet standards and if you received a ‘pretty good’ at the end of the meal, you knew it was superb. He loved farming, but he also loved his job at Kelly AFB as a machinist where he could express his creativity by building bird feeders or small containers from scrap materials. He served his country first in the Army Air Corps as a Reservist while attending college at Del Mar University and later Texas State Teacher’s College. After missing the enrollment window for the spring semester his junior year, he enlisted in the Air Force where he became an Electronics Instructor at Keesler Air Force Base in Biloxi, Mississippi. He was awarded many service awards during his tenure with the military, active duty and as a civilian. His last day of work at Kelly AFB in 1963 was November 21 and he was able to see President Kennedy in the motorcade during his visit to San Antonio before that fateful day in Dallas. George and family moved to Pearsall where he joined his dad and brother, Charles on the family farm. During the years he farmed, he and Nan raised their children and were active in Band Boosters, and other community activities. George served as President of the Library Board as well as the Lepidopterists’ Society on Monarch and Snout butterfly migrations. His vast knowledge led him to interests in various hobbies like gardening, ceramics, genealogy, rock collecting and butterfly collecting to name a few. He is preceded in death by his parents, George Andrew and Ima Dell Clark Toalson; his wife, Jimmie Nan, and her brothers Michael Leslie and William Timothy Mangan. George is survived by his children, Kathryn Nanette (Ed) Staples of College Station, TX, Valerie Elizabeth (Ottis) Kirkland of San Antonio, TX and George Alan (Sonya) Toalson of Hondo, TX. Other survivors are his brother, Charles M. (Billie) Toalson of Moore, TX, sister–in-law, M. Catharine (Brad) Adreon of Hoodsport, WA; grandchildren, Jessica Lively of Houston, TX, Scott (Abbey) Lively of Santa Anna, TX, Gregory (Jennifer) Kirkland of San Antonio, TX, Kelly Kirkland of San Antonio, TX, Katie Toalson of Durham, NC, George Andrew Toalson of Hondo, TX; great grandchildren, Brianna and Aidan McBee, Elizabeth Kirkland and Cooper Lively; and numerous other relatives. Graveside services will begin with family visitation from 9:30-10:30 am, Friday, May 1, 2020 at the Pearsall Cemetery with the service beginning at 10:30 am. Social distancing protocol will be followed. There will be no visitation at the Hurley Funeral Home in Pearsall prior to service. Arrangements are under the direction of Hurley Funeral Home, 608 East Trinity, Pearsall, TX, (830) 334-3361.