George L. ‘‘Shorty’’ Follansbee
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Born in Pittsburgh, Pa., on Sept. 12, 1911, a son of the late William Uhler and Ruth Ann Harper Follansbee.
He attended Whiteman School and graduated from Shady Side Academy in 1930. He then graduated from Princeton University in 1934. He began his teaching career at Phillips Academy in Andover, Maine, where he taught biology for 17 years, served as chair of the biology department and head coach of the Andover baseball team. In 1953, he left Andover to become the headmaster of Shady Side Academy, where he served for 12 years. In 1967, he became head of the Junior School at Albuquerque Academy in Albuquerque, N.M. Throughout his tenure at both Shady Side and Albuquerque Academy, he continued to coach baseball.
Much of Shorty’s life was defined by his time at Chautauqua. He spent 94 of his 96 years at Chautauqua Institution, where he played baseball and golf, twice being the Club Champion of the Chautauqua Golf Club in the 1930’s. He served as director of the Boys and Girls Club for a summer, president of the property owner’s association, and as an usher at the Sunday worship service for over 60 years, including many years as head usher. In 1963 he served as acting president of Chautauqua Institution and from 1965 to1967 as its first director of development.
He is survived by his wife Julie; daughter, Caran Redington and her husband, Dick; son, Geof Follansbee; four grandchildren; two stepgrandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.
In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by two brothers: Richard and Harper Follansbee.
A Memorial Service will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday, June 28 in the Hall of Philosophy of Chautauqua Institution. The Rev. Dr. Joan Brown Campbell and the Rev. Wendy Heinz will officiate. Inurnment will be in the Chautauqua Cemetery.
Visitation will not be observed.
Memorials may be made to the Chautauqua Foundation, Chautauqua, NY, 14722.
Funeral arrangements are being handled by the Lind Funeral Home.
