ANOTHER FORTUNE LOST!

George Fred Fortune, husband and father of seven, passed away quietly and peacefully at his home at 11:40pm, Wednesday, February 18, 2015 surrounded by his entire family.

Dad was 94 years old, born October 25, 1920 of Lillian Annette Petty and Fred Archibald Fortune, Menlo Park, California. He was an only child and was the apple of his mother’s eye. 

Married for 65 years, the love of his life and wife Idell Jane Allen passed May 29, 2014 – together now they are in the eternal dance of life. Dad also leaves behind seven children: Frederick (wife Cathleen), Daniel, Robert, Annette, John (wife Sue), Mary and Elizabeth (husband Robert) and 12 smart, creative and delightful grandchildren (Victoria Fortune, Robbie Cheim, Christina Fortune, Michael Cheim, Michelle Fortune, Greg Fortune, Marie Cheim, Martin Cheim, and Daniel and Matthew Fortune).

One of the big reasons Mom and Dad were attracted to each other was their love of dancing. They fell in love on their fist date and were married 5 months later. After marriage they lived in Menlo Park, then Los Altos Hills - having sold an apartment complex they built with their own hands afterhours and weekends. In 1963 the Fortune family moved to the Willow Glen area of San Jose.

(Military blog - http://georgenavylsmr408.blogspot.com/?m=1)

George F. Fortune volunteered for service in the United States Navy, signing up in February 1942, on leaving college at the age of twenty 22. He attended Midshipman School at Furnald Hall, Columbia University, New York City, for 3 months and 2 weeks trial and training. He eventually became Captain of LSMR 408 rocket ship USNR and had 133 men in his crew and 7 officers.

June 6, 1944 D Day as written to his family..."On D-Day, I watched planes fall from the sky like exploding fireworks, ships around me turned turtle, blown up by torpedoes, and wave after wave of Allied planes flying over and bombing at the Utah beach landing."

Prior to his Senior Executive position as Captain, Dad pulled the firing levers on the 439s first salvo of 1448 rockets, which took about 3 minutes. They roared over the heads of the troops in the small landing craft en route to the beaches. The rockets landed on the beaches to ensure the German troops were eliminated when the Allied troops arrived shortly afterwards, on time and on target. The crew wore their anti-gas outfits and life jackets for a week without taking them off! They found out later that they hit their target and on time!!

Services and celebrations: 

*Wednesday, February 25, Oak Hill Cemetery, San Jose. Times are 11am-5pm Visitation Room, 5pm-9pm Chapel of Roses (7pm Rosary). 

*Thursday, February 26 at 11:00am Mass at St. Thomas More Chapel, 1565 South White Road 95127, 1:00pm Burial at Oak Hill Memorial Park followed at 2:30pm with a celebration of her life at the Fortune Home, Willow Glen (for more information contact mffortune01@gmail.com).

In lieu of Memorial contributions, the Family has requested donations be made to the Carmelites of Santa Clara, and the Poor Clare Nuns Los Altos Hills.

THE NAME OF FORTUNE: "The origin of the Irish surname Fortune and it's variants O'Fortune, Fortin and Forty are of English origin, having been brought to Ireland by English settlers. Here the name is of nickname origin; derived from the Latin "fortuna", meaning "chance, fate, fortune" and indicating "a fortunate or lucky person".