George C. Yeramian, Jr., former Life Member and 1st Vice President of the Company of Fifers & Drummers passed away on November 16, 2024 at the age of 95.
George Yeramian and Donna Czepiel on parade with Connecticut Valley Field MusicBorn in West Hartford, CT on April 14, 1929, to Elizabeth Hipp & George Yeramian Sr. Lived “Below the Rock’s” on Glendale Ave., until 1936 when mother died of cancer, father remarried to Elsie Kirschner in 1937. Lived one year on “The Farm” on Welles Road in Granby, CT. Went to 2nd grade in a two-room schoolhouse on North Granby Road. It’s now an American Legion Post, cannon out front and all. Each room had four rows. Each row was a grade: 1st to 4th in one room, and 5th to 8th in the other. One teacher per room.
1938, moved to the south end of Hartford. Went to Henry C. Dwight Elementary School. Alfred E. Burr Jr. High and graduated with the class of “47” from Morgan Gardner Bulkeley High School.
Got a job at P&WA in East Hartford in August 1947. Worked there till I was drafted into the Army in December of 1950. Heart murmur which every doctor mentioned since I had whooping cough as a child plus a stretched ligament in my right knee since 1949, basketball injury, notwithstanding. I ended up in the infantry, Heavy Weapons Company, machine gun platoon. Deployed to Korea in 1952-53, came out intact and was separated out in 1953. Back to P&WA, got my old job back. Met the love of my life there. Dorothy Seam, who I pursued until we married in September 1954. At P&WA I applied for journeymen's sheet metal school: Sorry, too liable for the draft-ok-got-drafted-came back-got job back - reapplied to sheet metal class: Sorry! You’re too old, very strict 18-21 yrs old only. I was 22, upset, I quit. I got a job with Parker X-Ray Solution Service, a new business by Harry Parker. Six backbreaking years later I quit. Luckily, I got a job with Hamilton Standard in Windsor Locks, CT in 1959 in the shipping department. I started out as a packer and dock walloper. Soon made lead man, foreman, and retired in January 1991 as a General Foreman of four departments, known to one and all as “Shipping George.” Family had come along and grew: #1 George III, #2 Billy, #3 Carole, and #4 David.
Nephew Mike Nevins had joined the Sgt. Bissel F&DC in Windsor, CT (evolved to Windsor F&DC). I went to Musters and jam sessions and was touched by drum fever. 1984 started snare drum instructions with Jim Clark, drummer extraordinaire. Soon Jim and three students co-founded Conn Valley Field Music: C.V.F.M., which I named. The two founding fifers were Sue “B. Honey” Cifaldi and John Kalinowski. We made our first appearance at the 1990 Westbrook Muster. We didn’t get on stand until 8 P.M. that evening, and boy was I nervous. I was 61 years old.
Fife & Drum became central to our lives. Dort made many new friends and got involved in many ways. I eventually served six years as a member of the executive board of the Company of Fifers & Drummers, including as 1st V.P. of the Company of F&D 1997-99. I wrote prolifically for the company quarterly broadsheet C.V.M. magazine, the “Ancient Times”, and was a contributing editor. I also served several years as chairman of the Summer Concert Series at the museum in Ivoryton.
One of my favorite duties was announcing and narrating Musters all over New England and New York and down to Leesburg, VA.
The warm friendships and acquaintances we made were comforting and nice to look back on. It was a time when people conducted their lives and relationships more civilly, courteously, considerably, and decently. That’s the world of the fife & drum that I remembered.
Good things come to he who waits! Our good thing was his granddaughter, Summer Lynn Yeramian born to Bonnie Burns and son William in San Francisco, CA on September 25,1993. We were at a muster in Sudbury, Mass when a call to the inn was sent to the muster announcer, who made a public announcement, great news shared.
After retirement from Hamilton in 1991, I got more involved in the scrap metal business which I had dabbled in. Not only profitable but kept me fit and able. I was joined by fellow retired General Foreman B.O. “Bob” Benson. We really produced for several years together until I quit. I continued for many years. I was an avid UCONN women’s basketball fan since 1994. 1st to call into CPTV with a donation each game.
In 1997 I quit the drumline of C.V.F.M. and began escorting Donna Czepiel, wife of Vinnie (ZPL) the drum Sgt of the Civil War Troopers of Newburgh, NY, leading the Corps on parade, she in beautiful, fetching and period gowns and me in my uniform artillery Sgt’s uniform with the red stripes on jacket and trousers and crossed cannons on the cap. Eventually did the same after Vinnie and Donna moved to North Carolina with C.V.F.M. with the adorable Colette Yeich of Windsor, CT. We also led the Company of F&D unit in the 5 P.M. parade on Connecticut Day at the Big “E” for several years.
I also got involved in golfing, serving as president of the Hamilton Standard Thursday morning golf league at Cedar Knob Golf Course in 1985/86/87 and again for six years at St. Anne’s Golf Course in Agawam, MA in the late 90’s-2,000’s. I wasn’t much of a golfer, but I enjoyed the camaraderie, and I wrote a weekly tongue in cheek account of the week’s outing, chronicling the most hapless efforts along with the standings and scores.
July 3,2004 Dort died and a constant companion and presence in my life was gone. Fife & Drum was well represented at her funeral.
In 2006 I met Diane Gerber who became my loving companion until she died in January 2021, except for 2 weeks when she was on a cruise. We were together every day and many nights for the last 15 years of her life. I was 12 years older than her, and I never expected to outlive her.
Left to mourn my passing will be George III of Easthampton, MA and his husband Karl Hastings, Carole Nash of West Springfield, MA, and David of Windsor, CT. I also leave behind my grandson Dillon Nash, and his wife Stephanie, along with my two great-grandsons Myles and Theo of West Springfield, MA and my pride and joy, and beautiful granddaughter Summer Lynn and her husband Adam Loria of California. Good night, Mrs. Calabash wherever you are.
George’s family will receive friends on Friday, November 22, 2024, from 12:00PM-2:00PM at Carmon Funeral Home, 807 Bloomfield Ave., Windsor, CT 06095. A funeral service will follow at Carmon’s beginning at 2:00PM. Burial with full Military Honors will follow at Windsor Veterans Memorial Cemetery, East Street, Windsor, CT, 06095. For condolences or directions please visit www.carmonfuneralhome.com.
https://www.carmonfuneralhome.com/obituaries/George-C-Yeramian-Jr?obId=33807996