Obituary of George Ernest Ziegler

George Ziegler, beloved husband, father, and grandfather passed away on April 12, 2021, after a brief illness. He turned 86 on April 9 in a birthday celebration in Belfast, Maine, surrounded by his extended family. George grew up in Sparta, New Jersey and graduated from Newton High School in 1952. He attended Lehigh University, PA and started work at Picatinny Arsenal NJ as a chemical engineer in 1955. He married his first wife, Suzanne Radcliffe in 1958 and they designed a house on the Radcliffe property on West Mountain Road, which they moved into in 1964. George and Sue had three daughters, Danica Ziegler Cunningham (Kevin), Lexa Clifford (Nathaniel), and Brit Ziegler (Philip Jacks). In 1981, George married his second wife Danielle Matheny and remained in Sparta, moving from West Mountain to Maple Tree Lane. He continued to work at Picatinny Arsenal until his retirement in 1988. After retiring, George followed his dream of living on the mid-coast of Maine. He and his third wife Leonora Lichtenberger moved to Brooklin, Maine in 1992 and spent 15 years there before moving to Penobscot in 2007. Leonora’s four children, Katrin, Kristine, Karin, and Kevin and 11 grandchildren became an important and loving part of the family, which gave George a second chance to be involved in young peoples’ lives and provided a new audience for his old stories. George will always be remembered for his funny sayings, repeated so often they became family groaners as well as tidbits of lifelong advice. George liked boating in Penobscot Bay, gardening, reading, and travel. He and Leonora spent 10 winters in Marathon, FL as snowbirds. George will be greatly missed by his brother Roger Ziegler of Franklin, NJ and his sister Carolyn Gunn of Bethlehem PA. He is predeceased by his sister Arlayne Bonath, and his parents George, and Elinor Schweibert Ziegler. George leaves behind three daughters, four stepdaughters, two stepsons, six grandchildren, 14 step-grandchildren, and one step great grandchild. A Celebration of Life will be held this summer when it is safe for his extended, and far flung, family to gather. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests a donation to the Northern Light Home Care & Hospice, https://northernlighthealthorg.org/Locations/Foundation/Donation-Opportunities/VNA-Foundation-Donation