George Franklin Waters — Rochester

The celebration of George Waters' life will will take place at Calvary Episcopal Church in Rochester on Wednesday, June 17, at 4 p.m. A reception will follow at the Rochester Golf & Country Club starting at 6:30 p.m.

George Franklin Waters, of Rochester, passed away Wednesday, June 10, 2015, at his home.

George Franklin Waters was born and raised in Minneapolis, where his father's Waters-Genter Company brought to the world the first automatic pop-up Toastmaster. He attended The Blake School, Harvard College, MIT (Air Corps, Meteorology) and Harvard Business School. He served as a 1st Lieutenant, Army Air Force in India during World War II.

After the war, he married Jean Dain of Minneapolis. Shortly thereafter the couple moved to Rochester, where his father had established the Waters-Conley Company, manufacturer of phonographs and home milk pasteurizers, of which George became sales manager. In 1954, he left Waters-Conley and founded Waters Instruments, Inc. which pioneered non-invasive measurements of heart lung function as developed by Mayo Clinic. The company also did subcontract work for IBM in Rochester. He retired in 1992.

A parishioner and former vestry member of Calvary Episcopal Church, he was also a member of the Minneapolis Club, University Club of Chicago, the Harvard Club of New York and Boston, Rochester Golf and Country Club and University Club of Rochester. He was a longtime Rotarian.

George was active in Rochester community activities and served on several boards. He was especially proud of being an original founder and later president of Rochester Industrial Opportunities, Inc., which was instrumental in bringing an IBM plant to the city. For many years, his favorite pleasures were skiing, tennis, racquetball, bird hunting, fly fishing, hiking at his cabin on Lake Superior and travel.

He has three daughters, Dain Waters of Boston, Brenda Waters, M.D. of Huntington, Vt., and Anne Waters, PsyD. of Newton, Mass.; one grandchild, Lindsey diMuro (Chris); and two great-grandchildren.

Since 1955 when he was impressed with a Life magazine article proclaiming the forthcoming "Franklin Papers," George has held an abiding and almost obsessive interest in the life, thinking, writings and legacy of Benjamin Franklin. He claims that his hero was a major source of inspiration in his life. So it is no surprise that George was a founder, life member, and director of the Friends of Franklin, Inc., Philadelphia, Pa. He has given many talks about Franklin and impersonations as well.

Supplemental Information:

1. Voted Outstanding Young Man of the Year by the Rochester Junior Chamber of Commerce, 1952.

2. Chairman of Rochester Community Chest Fund Drive 1952.

3. Chairman of Olmsted Republican Party 1952-55.

4. Played cameo role in the movie "Slaughter House Five" in 1968, owing to Blake classmate, George Roy Hill, its noted director.

5. Active member of Young Presidents Organization 1962-70.

6. President and Historian of International Wine and Foods Society of Rochester 1976.

7. Owned and operated Poor Richard Books store in Rochester.

8. Board of Directors member of Rochester First National Bank in the 1970's.

9. Former member of other boards: Walker Art Center, The Guthrie Theatre, Rochester Chamber of Commerce, Rochester Art Center, Golf and Country Club, Blake Alumni Association.

10. Hobbies (over and above Ben Franklin interests) amateur theatricals, model ships, writing local history, book and old time map collecting, book reviews and maintenance of an extensive library.

The celebration of George Waters' life will take place at Calvary Episcopal Church in Rochester on Wednesday, June 17, at 4 p.m. A reception will follow at the Plummer House starting at 6:30 p.m.

Macken Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Online condolences are welcome at mackenfuneralhome.com .