George Borman High

George Borman High was born on July 25, 1931 to Harriet and Oscar Verny High in Chicago. He grew up in Blue Island, Illinois, a town south of Chicago. Frequently he spent his summers at his grandparents' farm in Nebraska. Both of his parents were school teachers. After finishing high school, the same school where his mother taught, he went to Dartmouth College in New Hampshire. After graduation in 1953, he attended Columbia Law School. Although he passed the District of Columbia bar exam, he never practiced law. Between his second and third years at Columbia he had an internship in international law at the United Nations. This experience encouraged him to apply to the Foreign Service. He started work in 1956, shortly after graduation.

For the next 35 years he went from post to post starting with Luanda, Angola, when it was still a colony of Portugal and just starting its revolution; followed by Beirut, Lebanon, during the peak of its pre-civil war multi-cultural charm; Guayaquil, Ecuador, to which he returned many times, even after retirement; Buenos Aires, Argentina, just before its civil war; Brasilia, Brazil; and Mexico City, Mexico. In the last two posts he was Deputy Chief of Mission (assistant ambassador). When posted in Washington he worked in the passport office, the Portuguese Africa desk, Caribbean office, the Inspection Corp, as director of the Mexican desk, and finally as Senior Deputy Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs. George also attended the Army War College for the '72-'73 year.

After retirement from the Foreign Service, George worked as director of the Center for Immigration Studies from 1992 to 1994.

George met Elizabeth Codman, of Boston, on a blind double date in NYC, and got married in 1956. Their son arrived a year later, and a daughter 21 months after. Their first post, Luanda, Angola, was about as different from 20th century American life as you could find. They reached Luanda by steamship after 10 days in a cabin with two very small children in diapers (no pampers here!) and bouts of seasickness...and this was the beginning of a life together that lasted over 61 years. Both of them would attest to the fact that their lives had been made richer by the people they met all over the world, the opportunities to serve their communities in every post and a broader sense of the world. He passed his love of travel and adventure on to his children and grandchildren.

George was very active in charities and public affairs. Much of this took place through the many churches he attended in each country and city he lived in. While initially Episcopalians, when George and Beth moved to Vienna, Va. in 1973, they joined Emmanuel Lutheran Church. Through the years he was involved with the Boy Scouts, American Field Service, CHO (Community Helping Others), Our Daily Bread, and NoVaCo, among others. Retirement only increased his volunteer work. In 2004 George and Beth High were named volunteer couple of the year by Volunteer Fairfax.

In 2003 George and Beth High moved to Westminster at Lake Ridge Retirement Community, near Occoquan, VA. He continued his work with CHO and his church while adding many more activities in that community such as the Kaffee Klatche, Westminster University, Kitchen Band, Investment Club, NaCCRA, VaCCRA, and the resident council. He was elected president of the resident council for one term.

Last year George was ecstatic to see his favorite team, the Chicago Cubs, finally win the World Series.

On March 21, 2017 George Borman High died from the results of non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma.

George is survived by his wife, Beth, his children: Mark High and Susan High, daughter-in-law Leonor, foster daughter Angela Wilson, and four grandchildren: Caroline High, Katherine High, Mirko Simoni, and Emily Simoni.

In lieu of flowers please make donations to CHO (Community Helping Others) at P.O. Box 233, Vienna Va, 22183, or Parkinson Foundation of the National Capital Area, 8830 Cameron St., Suite 201, Silver Spring, MD, 20910.

Funeral Home:

Money & King Funeral Home

171 W. Maple Ave.

Vienna, VA

US 22180