George McKinstry Cauthen passed away at home in Duluth, GA on the afternoon of Thursday, Feb 29th while surrounded by loving family. He was 82 years old.
Born in Columbia, South Carolina to Doris and George Sr in 1941, George Jr grew up in Blackshear, Georgia, and attended Georgia Military Academy. He was on the USS Cony, attended college at the Georgia Institute of Technology, and graduate schools at Princeton University, University of Hawaii, and Johns Hopkins University. He earned an ScD in epidemiology at Johns Hopkins under Dr George Comstock. He then worked in the epidemiology of tuberculosis at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for 20 years.
George joined the Peace Corps between attending Princeton and University of Hawaii. He did two consecutive tours in South Korea where he walked across mountains between villages to provide medical services and conduct public health surveys for rural Koreans. His Peace Corps experiences remained central to his identity: he met his wife, Sooky, in Korea; he wandered in strange and rugged places; he found his calling in research, epidemiology and medicine; and his fellow Peace Corps volunteers became central, lifelong friends.
Learning, exploring outdoor spaces, and trips to Ghost Ranch, New Mexico motivated George throughout his life. He shared these inspirations with his wife, children, nieces and nephews, grandchildren and friends and they proved formative. His motivations live on in his children and grandchildren.
George is predeceased by his younger brother, Jon, and parents, Doris and George. He is survived by his wife, Sooky; sister, Gertrude; his children, Jon, Sarah, and Alfred; and his granddaughters, Laura, Mallory and Cameron; and grandsons, Harper and Taylor.
A celebration of George’s life for family and friends will be held at the home of his son and daughter-in-law on Sunday, March 10th from 3:00 to 6:00 PM.
