George G. Veily
October 24, 1924 - January 7, 2019
George G. Veily, of Plymouth, formerly of Avon, Connecticut, passed away peacefully Monday, Jan. 7, at Life Care Center of Plymouth. He was 94.
Born Oct. 24, 1924, in Hyattsville, Maryland, Mr. Veily was the son of Marie (Specht) and George G. Veily Sr. He was predeceased by his three sisters, Alice V. Waring, Frieda Smith and Katherine Dennis. He was also predeceased by his second wife, Joyce A. Foy, in 2007.
As a young man, he attended McKinley Technical High School in Washington, D.C., where he was a Lt. Col. in the McKinley Cadet Corps. A veteran of World War II, Mr. Veily served in the 20th Armored Division and was awarded a Good Conduct Medal, the American Theater Ribbon, the European African Middle Eastern Theater Ribbon, the World War II Victory Ribbon, the Combat Infantryman Badge and the Bronze Star, which he received Aug. 30, 1995, more than 30 years after it was awarded in 1962 for "meritorious achievement in ground combat against the armed enemy during World War II in the European Theater of Operations."
Upon returning from the war, he enrolled in college under the GI Bill and graduated with distinction in 1948 from George Washington University, where he was a member of the university rifle team and Sigma Chi Fraternity.
Upon graduation, he began a 40-year career with Arthur Andersen & Co., becoming a general partner of that firm in 1962. His career began in New York City, and he spent many years working as a CPA in Cuba, Mexico and a number of other Latin American countries, before working as a partner in the Hartford, Connecticut, office.
Mr. Veily was appointed to the Connecticut State Board of Accountancy and was active in other professional organizations including the Connecticut Society of CPAs, where he served as president, and the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy, where he served as director.
While Mr. Veily owned and played a banjo for many years as a member of the Elm City Banjo Society, he always denied that he was a musician. As president and treasurer of the banjo band, he arranged gigs throughout Connecticut. His most recent foray into the field of music was to teach himself how to play the harmonica. He loved all types of music, from jazz to classical, but had a special fondness for opera.
Always an advocate of the precise and correct usage of language and grammar, Mr. Veily composed poems throughout his adult life that reflected his observations and experiences. In the past decade and with the help of his daughters, he self-published a booklet of these poems that he was delighted to share with his caregivers, friends and fellow residents of Stafford Hill, where he moved in 2014.
Throughout his life, Mr. Veily enjoyed building models, and in 2008, shortly after the death of his wife, Joyce, he embarked upon an eight-month project that resulted in a beautifully constructed, to-scale model of a Sopwith Camel, a British WWI single-seat biplane fighter aircraft, which he proudly displayed at Stafford Hill.
He is survived by his daughters, Robin Waite, of Clinton, Connecticut; Beth Doyle and her husband, William, of Plymouth; and Meg Papa and her husband, Brian, of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; and his stepdaughter Deidre McGlynn and her husband, Todd, of Columbia, Connecticut.
He was a proud grandfather of his six grandchildren: Courtney Doyle Bisset and her husband, Andrew, of New York City; Elizabeth Wroblewski Alm and her husband, Erik, of Bellingham, Washington; William T. Doyle IV, of New York City; Connor Patrick Doyle and Kelsey Katherine Doyle, both of Plymouth; and Katrina McGlynn, of Columbia, Connecticut. He also was delighted to become a great-grandfather in 2017 to Isla Doyle Bisset, of New York City.
Relatives and friends are welcome to attend visiting hours on Saturday, Jan. 12, 2019, at the Davis Funeral Home, 373 Court St., Plymouth, with visitation from 10 to 11:30 a.m. followed by a Celebration of Life Service at 11:30 a.m. A private burial in Connecticut will be held at a later date.
A special thanks to the compassionate caregivers at Life Care Center of Plymouth, where he spent his final months; they were a constant source of support and encouragement. Sincere thanks also to his caregivers at Cranberry Hospice. In lieu of flowers, donations can be sent to Cranberry Hospice, 36 Cordage Park Circle, Plymouth, MA 02360.
Born Oct. 24, 1924, in Hyattsville, Maryland, Mr. Veily was the son of Marie (Specht) and George G. Veily Sr. He was predeceased by his three sisters, Alice V. Waring, Frieda Smith and Katherine Dennis. He was also predeceased by his second wife, Joyce A. Foy, in 2007.
As a young man, he attended McKinley Technical High School in Washington, D.C., where he was a Lt. Col. in the McKinley Cadet Corps. A veteran of World War II, Mr. Veily served in the 20th Armored Division and was awarded a Good Conduct Medal, the American Theater Ribbon, the European African Middle Eastern Theater Ribbon, the World War II Victory Ribbon, the Combat Infantryman Badge and the Bronze Star, which he received Aug. 30, 1995, more than 30 years after it was awarded in 1962 for "meritorious achievement in ground combat against the armed enemy during World War II in the European Theater of Operations."
Upon returning from the war, he enrolled in college under the GI Bill and graduated with distinction in 1948 from George Washington University, where he was a member of the university rifle team and Sigma Chi Fraternity.
Upon graduation, he began a 40-year career with Arthur Andersen & Co., becoming a general partner of that firm in 1962. His career began in New York City, and he spent many years working as a CPA in Cuba, Mexico and a number of other Latin American countries, before working as a partner in the Hartford, Connecticut, office.
Mr. Veily was appointed to the Connecticut State Board of Accountancy and was active in other professional organizations including the Connecticut Society of CPAs, where he served as president, and the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy, where he served as director.
While Mr. Veily owned and played a banjo for many years as a member of the Elm City Banjo Society, he always denied that he was a musician. As president and treasurer of the banjo band, he arranged gigs throughout Connecticut. His most recent foray into the field of music was to teach himself how to play the harmonica. He loved all types of music, from jazz to classical, but had a special fondness for opera.
Always an advocate of the precise and correct usage of language and grammar, Mr. Veily composed poems throughout his adult life that reflected his observations and experiences. In the past decade and with the help of his daughters, he self-published a booklet of these poems that he was delighted to share with his caregivers, friends and fellow residents of Stafford Hill, where he moved in 2014.
Throughout his life, Mr. Veily enjoyed building models, and in 2008, shortly after the death of his wife, Joyce, he embarked upon an eight-month project that resulted in a beautifully constructed, to-scale model of a Sopwith Camel, a British WWI single-seat biplane fighter aircraft, which he proudly displayed at Stafford Hill.
He is survived by his daughters, Robin Waite, of Clinton, Connecticut; Beth Doyle and her husband, William, of Plymouth; and Meg Papa and her husband, Brian, of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; and his stepdaughter Deidre McGlynn and her husband, Todd, of Columbia, Connecticut.
He was a proud grandfather of his six grandchildren: Courtney Doyle Bisset and her husband, Andrew, of New York City; Elizabeth Wroblewski Alm and her husband, Erik, of Bellingham, Washington; William T. Doyle IV, of New York City; Connor Patrick Doyle and Kelsey Katherine Doyle, both of Plymouth; and Katrina McGlynn, of Columbia, Connecticut. He also was delighted to become a great-grandfather in 2017 to Isla Doyle Bisset, of New York City.
Relatives and friends are welcome to attend visiting hours on Saturday, Jan. 12, 2019, at the Davis Funeral Home, 373 Court St., Plymouth, with visitation from 10 to 11:30 a.m. followed by a Celebration of Life Service at 11:30 a.m. A private burial in Connecticut will be held at a later date.
A special thanks to the compassionate caregivers at Life Care Center of Plymouth, where he spent his final months; they were a constant source of support and encouragement. Sincere thanks also to his caregivers at Cranberry Hospice. In lieu of flowers, donations can be sent to Cranberry Hospice, 36 Cordage Park Circle, Plymouth, MA 02360.
