George D. Quaglia, who died July 8, 2023, (pictured here with his beloved wife Elsie) was born in Springfield MA, April 30th,1945 to Frederick Quaglia and Edna (Quaglia née Couch) Condino. He is predeceased by his Wife Elsie (Loudfoot née Carter) Quaglia, sister Rose Altieri, and brother Alphonso Condino. He is survived by his sons, Angelo and fiancée Tracey Rock and Gabriel, Grandchildren Ariana and Gavin, daughters-in-law Cindy and Sara, former wife Susan Heinbokel (Quaglia née Beggs), brother Fred, sisters Linda Scammons, Angela Dagenais (née Condino),  and Suzanne Patnaude, stepchildren Alan Loudfoot and Linda Hosmer, and countless step-grandchildren and step-great-grandchildren. Donations in his memory may be made to the Southern Poverty Law center: splcenter.org/support-us

George's first love was music. He was mostly self taught and could play guitar, cuatro, bass, piano, recorder, and probably many other instruments his family were probably not even aware of. He loved rock & roll, but his tastes ran the gamut of anything "good". Up until his dying day he still would spend hours in private, listening to his favorite songs over and over, sometimes accompanying on guitar and singing. One of his favorite stories he liked to tell was that in the early 60's his band-mate returned from being stationed in Germany and wanted to play music by a band he had heard over there. So they incorporated the little-known band's songs and stylings into their act. George claimed, as humbly as he could, that they were the ones who brought the music of "The Beatles" to the Greater Springfield area.

During the Vietnam War he was drafted and served as a tank driver in the 2nd Armored Division, "Hell on Wheels", in Korea. He would be quick to tell you he burned his uniform when he was released from their bondage, and that he shouldn't be treated any differently than any other person due to his service.

In 1969 he struck out for Los Angeles, California and while dabbling in music had success managing a string of head shops that catered to locals, tourists, and even some stars of the day. He had a talent In every job he held of recognizing issues which may have required expensive subcontractors to fix. George would figure out how to perform these specialized tasks, making himself invaluable.

After leaving California, George spent some time drifting around our great nation to see what was there. He seldom spoke about that, but would recall fondly that in D.C. he sat on the steps of the Capitol building in the middle of the night, smoked some reefer, then wandered over to the Lincoln Memorial and played  Bach's "Aus Lieb" on a recorder at 4AM, filling the otherwise silent space.

When George came back to the Springfield area, he reconnected with his friend Elsie Loudfoot, and a beautiful romance resulted. They married in 1982 and loved and doted over each other until Elsies death in 2018. Prior to her death, Elsie suffered a stroke and lost a great deal of function. George insisted she come home rather than stay in a long-term care facility. He provided her care and made sure she had it round the clock as well. George became adept at taking her out in the wheelchair to places such as the Bridge of Flowers, Springfield museums, and outdoor art galleries.

George abhorred bullies and disliked people who fawned over the emperor's invisible clothes, and those who refused to address the elephants in the room. He spent much time using humor and wit to point out issues in our world others ignore to a fault. He loved tio share this humor with folks and while many didn't get, those that did appreciated his insight.

George participated in charitable actions throughout his life, most often keeping them secret. He was not a religious man, but was quick to point out that Jesus told us those who did their charity and prayed publicly would have their reward on earth while those that did so in secret would have their reward in the kingdom of God. (Matthew 6)

When George gave a gift, he would put thought into it - either remembering an obscure comment about their likes, or thinking of something beautiful he wanted to share with them, such as the stars, a musical instrument, knowledge, or a piece of their ancestry. He would often leave flowers at the doors of loved ones for them to find when they returned home on their birthdays or anniversaries.

George was a source of love, support, humor, and caring for all those who would accept his love. All of our lives are much poorer without him. We can only hope we use his memory to be a source of kindness to others and a willingness to stand up when we see the marginalized hurt and bullied. This world would be far less cruel if there were more like him.