Selden, George (12/23/2016)

George Henry Selden, Jr. passed away on December 23, 2016, after a 3-year battle with A.L.S. He was ready to join Jesus and passed peacefully with his wife, daughters, sons-in-law, oldest granddaughter, dear friends, John and Judy Rossi, and his two, remarkable care-givers present. He is survived by his immediate family: wife, Linda Gordy Selden, daughters Mandy McClelland and Amy Rowland. He is also survived by his sons-in-law, Kevin McClelland and David Rowland; grandchildren Aaron, Aaron’s wife Tiffany, Emma, Anna Grace, Allyson, Lily, Joshua, and Sophie McClelland; and Zachary, Abigail, Isabelle, and Andrew Rowland.

George was born on March 27, 1947, to Ouida Winn Selden and George Henry Selden in Washington, D.C. He grew up in Arlington, VA, and Rockville, MD. He attended Richard Montgomery High School, where he played football, sang with the choir, starred in the senior musical and graduated with honors. He then earned a BA at Dartmouth College, where he played football and was a member of the Beta Theta Pi fraternity. Upon graduation George was commissioned in the U.S. Army as a Second Lieutenant in Air Defense Artillery (ADA). In addition, he was selected to be a Foreign Area Officer, specializing in the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe. He completed a 29-year career that included a tour in Viet Nam, several postings in the United States and Germany. During these 29 years, George was selected to be a White House Fellow (1984-1985); commanded 3/5 ADA battalion in Buedingen, Germany (1987-1989); attended the Army War College (1989-1990); served as an assistant in the office of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff during Desert Storm (1990-1992); commanded the 31st Air Defense Brigade at Fort Hood, Texas (1992-1994); and finished his career working with Attaches of other countries.

It was as a Second Lieutenant that George met Linda on a blind date. They married several months later and moved to George’s first military assignment, in Alaska. In true military fashion, Mandy was born in California and Amy in Germany. Despite the many moves of military life, the family stayed together enjoying the new sights and experiences. It was very difficult for George to ‘give away’ his daughters in marriage; however, the blessings of wonderful sons-in-law – along with the arrival of grandchildren -eased the feeling of loss.

During an assignment, at Fort Leavenworth, KS, in 1982, George and Linda gave their lives to Christ. From then on, George dedicated himself to growing in and living for Christ. His faith and spiritual insights benefited many people.

Upon retiring from the Army, George (and Linda) joined the staff of Christian Embassy, a ministry of Campus Crusade for Christ (CCCI). George ministered to senior leaders in the Pentagon, as well as to Presidential Appointees. He served as the director for the Embassy for over 3 years. With his international experience, George was asked to join another ministry of CCCI: Momentum Europe. That is what brought the Seldens to Florida. He loved Florida weather and the swimming pool. He also showed the love of Christ to everyone he met. As a result, anyone who came to do work around the house became a friend. He loved sharing his faith and the insights he would get from the Bible. Anyone who met him went away blessed.

George was also talented in various areas (golf not being one of them). He was an accomplished ‘pen and ink’ artist. He loved telling jokes and making puns. At one point in his life, he taught sailing. He really enjoyed snow skiing, which was a fun activity for the whole family.

Early in George’s Christian walk, a verse that came to mean a lot to him was Proverbs 3:5-6 – “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight.” He truly lived these verses.

George was buried at Arlington Cemetery on May 31, 2017