George W. Guderley

Graveside services for George W. Guderley, Major, USAF-Retired, 92, will be held Friday, August 7, 2015 at 11:00 a.m. at the Fort Sheridan Post Cemetery, Highwood, IL.

George passed away at his home on July 31, 2015. A resident of Inverness, Illinois he was a volunteer at the USAF Office of retiree Activities, at O’Hare Air Force Reserve Station since 1988. He served on active duty during World War II, The Korean Conflict and during the Cuban Missile Crisis.

Major Guderley was a graduate of the USAF Squadron Officer’s School, the Reserve Officer’s resident Command and Staff College and the Civil Engineering School at the at the Air University. He graduated from Lane Technical High School in Chicago and attended the Illinois Institute of Technology. He first entered the Air Force in 1942, served as B-17 bomber crew member, later in the Research and Development Command and finally as a Civil Engineering Squadron Commander and Staff Officer.

He retired in civilian life as Vice President of CEMCON, Ltd., a regional consulting engineering firm; prior to that he retired from public service as the Executive Director, Illinois Toll Highway Authority, and earlier as the Chief Engineer of Administration of the Cook County Highway Department. He authored technical papers and presented them at international computer conferences on the subjects of hydraulics, hydrology and storm sewer and pumping station design for major expressway projects.

Guderley’s civic activities include ten years on the Village Board of Trustees of the Village of Inverness, where he represented the Village on the Northwest Suburban Council of Governments; member of the Executive Board of the Northwest Suburban Boy Scout Council; Technical Advisor to the Flood Control and Pure Water Commission; member Transportation Committee, Chicago Association of Commerce and Industry; Chairman of both the Engineering Design Committee and the Administration Committee, International Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike Association; Chairman of the Board, Illinois Transportation  Council; President, Lake Michigan Chapter, Society of American Military Engineers; President, Chicago Chapter, Reserve Officer’s Association; member American Ex- Prisoners of War Association; and was the “Volunteer of the Year” at the USAF Office of Retiree Activities at O’Hare Air Force Station.  He also authored articles for the USAF Museum’s “Friends Journal”, and was an advisor to the Museum on POW affairs.

His military decorations included the Purple Heart Medal, the Air Medal with one Oak Leaf Cluster, the POW Medal, the European-Middle East Theater Ribbon with five battle stars, and eight other awards.

Major Guderley is survived by his wife, Lois; children, Susan (Peter Layer) Guderley and George (Laura) Guderley III; grandchildren, Paul, Catherine, Steven and Philip; sister, Lois (Norman) Remer; niece, Janice (Jim) Scandlin; and nephews, Jim (Donna) Remer and John (Thayne Erney) Pearson.

In lieu of flowers, memorials would be appreciated to your favorite charity.