Obituary of George Chehanske

George Chehanske (88) passed peacefully at his home in Howell on January 22, 2011. A lifelong resident of Freehold /Howell, he was a hard working, devoted family man. George worked the family farm for years, until he trained as a heating and air-conditioning mechanic under the GI Bill. In addition to being a heating/AC mechanic and then supervisor at Fort Monmouth for over 30 years, he also ran his own heating/AC business to provide a good home for his wife and 5 children. George received many citations from the Government for his expertise and dedication to his job, which paled in comparison to the love and admiration he invoked from his family and friends. George's hard work and self sacrifice put all of his children through private school, 4 through college, 3 through graduate school, and his 5th through art school, all without student loans. Born in Freehold, George enjoyed vegetable gardening, having a nice car and the Freehold race track, all activities he enjoyed throughout his life. George was a former Scout Master for the Freehold Troop and served on the Monmouth County Boy Scout Council for many years. A humble man, George served his country with extraordinary valor and bravery. A member of the famous 38th Combat Infantry Regiment , the "Rock of the Marne" , his fighting unit was the second wave to land on Omaha Beach during the Normandy Invasion. They were the first to break through the enemy lines and move inland from Omaha Beach, first seizing the strategic town of Trevieres, taken in a bitter house-by-house battle that went into the night. His unit led the way through the savage hedgerow battles of Normandy, field by field, town by town, cutting off several key roadways and taking strategic hills along the way. By the time his unit got to Tinchebray, France. it was August 15, 1944. Having had 71 consecutive days of fighting, the regiment by then lost 2,602 men, 2/3's of its original fighting force. George's unit was then given the mission of clearing the Daoulas Peninsula. He continued fighting until August 27th, when he was wounded in action, having tripped a land mine in Britney, France that took his left leg. George was awarded numerous ribbons and medals for his acts of bravery and courage, including the Bronze Battle Star, the Purple Heart, the Combat Infantry Badge, the Distinguished Service Medal from the State of N.J., and the Normandy Medal from France. George always had a smile, a playful sense of humor, and loved children, especially his many nieces and nephews who often enjoyed family gatherings at his farm in Howell. Surviving is his wife of 62 years, Louise Chehanske, his sister, Stella Sundmark, his daughters, Phyllis Mann, Georgette Nelson and Grace Jaffe , his sons, George and James Chehanske, 9 grandchildren, one great grandchild, numerous nieces and nephews and brother and sister- in-laws. A memorial service will be held in April. Details will be listed in the future on the Clayton & McGirr Funeral Home website. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made payable to: Religious Teachers Filippini, c/o Sister Mary Elizabeth Lloyd, MPF, Villa Welsh, 455 Western Ave., Morristown, NJ 07960, 100% of the funds go to children orphaned by AIDS in several countries.