Intelligent, hardworking, compassionate, brave, a leader
For Nancy, there seemed to always be two versions of her former husband and soulmate, George-the George without drugs and alcohol, and the George with drugs and alcohol.
George, without drugs and alcohol, was a reader, outdoorsman, artist, poet, and intellectual. History was his favorite subject, and he devoured every book that interested him. When he wasn’t reading, he carefully tended to his garden, built campfires, or simply enjoyed the grace of nature. George had a natural talent for capturing that grace in art. Though he had received no formal training, he always created beautiful drawings, paintings, poetry, and short fiction.
After being discharged from the Marines, George became a master plumber under guidance from Nancy’s father. He joined the local plumber’s union and also took on pipefitting so he and Nancy could buy their first home together. He enjoyed taking their three daughters—Priscilla, Rebecca, and Sarah rafting on the Guadalupe River and swimming and fishing in Galveston. When their daughters began having children of their own, George happily stepped into the role of grandfather. One of Nancy’s fondest memories was of George dressing his youngest grandson Preston in a cowboy hat and boots to match the set he wore.
“George got a kick out of putting Preston on his lap in the front seat of his pickup truck,” Nancy shared. “He let him hold the steering wheel as if he were driving.”
George’s kindness spilled over towards anyone and anything in need. Even when he and Nancy had little to spare, he gave rides to coworkers, donated his daughters’ old toys and clothing, and passed out buckets of chicken in low-income neighborhoods. He even brought home stray cats and dogs and, once, chased a calf through a pasture to reunite it with its mother.
When George was drinking alcohol and using drugs, he became a completely different person. He was incarcerated multiple times, and there were long stretches when his daughters grew up without him. Glimpses of his loving self were tangible in the roses he presented his mother on her visits, and the beautiful drawings on the envelopes he used to send letters to his family from prison. But, even when he was home, George’s substance use disorder brought chaos.
“When George started drinking, it inevitably led him to using drugs,” Nancy said. “I had to leave with our children many times. It was often a nightmare to be around him. Once, our three daughters saw their father overdosed on the kitchen floor. We called 911, and the paramedics rushed him to the hospital. His alcoholism and drug misuse couldn’t have been worse.”
He and Nancy divorced and remarried twice, and Nancy worked full time to raise their children on her own. It was heartbreaking, but she kept hoping that George could heal. “I always loved him and kept going back to him, hoping he would become the husband and father I knew he could be.”
George lived with SUD for 34 years before passing away from acute heroin toxicity. He and Nancy had been engaged to be remarried again.
“I never remarried after George died,” Nancy shared. “He was my soulmate, and I will always love him and miss him. What hurts the most is knowing George could have done so much with his life. We could have had a wonderful marriage if it hadn’t been for the alcohol and drugs.”
George’s former wife, Nancy Peyton, provided the information for this narrative.
February 28, 1954-July 12, 2002—Age 48
Portrait Artist: Shawn Faust
Narrative Writer: Angela Day
