George Troy Hurlburt

George Troy Hurlburt’s life began on January 30, 1937 in West Frankfort, IL; the son of George Aubry and Dorothy D (Mitchell) Hurlburt. George Troy Hurlburt moved to El Dorado, Kansas with his family in 1951.

After earning an Associates Degree at Butler County College, he completed his education at Emporia State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Management in 1958. While in Algebra class at Butler County College, he met the love of his life, Rita (DeWitt). They married on December 30, 1956, enjoying 62 years of marriage and family together.

Professionally, George leveraged his ability to naturally develop a friendly rapport with people into a sales career. He sold everything from automobiles to nuts and bolts. From his early childhood, George learned to pursue mastery of his interests. It began with a passion for the trumpet, then continued to the Boy Scouts. Under the skillful direction of Scout Master Maynard Kerns, George navigated the challenges on the trail toward earning the Eagle Scout Award. His commitment to the Boy Scouts continued while at Emporia State. He served as a canoeing skills instructor. Drag racing was hobby that became a profession. He operated the Wichita International Raceway in the 1960s and 1970s. During the 1965 racing season, he competed in 500 races thorough the mid-west. That year he captured twenty trophies.

Returning to his sales career, he eventually joined CertainTeed, in the mid-1970s. In 1978, his career took an unexpected turn. After excelling as an award-winning sales manager, he was invited to join their research and development facility in McPherson, Kansas. In that role he was awarded a United States patent for a vinyl-siding application tool and retired in 1990. The Hurlburts lived in Galva Kansas for 30 years before returning to El Dorado in 2016.

Coming from a long line of carpenters, father, grandfather and great-grandfather (of Hurlburt, IN), George developed a passion for woodworking. He immersed himself in mastering woodturning. Another passion was golf. Like his other interests, he applied his focus on his golf game. That even included making golf clubs.

George’s greatest joy in life was his family which includes his wife, Rita, of El Dorado; son George (Tonya) Hurlburt of Smithville, MO; daughter Marcia (Roger) Eaton of Manhattan; grandchildren Troy (Stephanie) Hill, Aubry James Eaton (Elizabeth Clark) and Muriel Eaton; great-grandchildren Revan Hill and Jasea Hill; and sister JoAnn (Ron) McGraw. George passed away on July 22, 2019 in El Dorado.
He is preceded in death by his parents George Aubry and Dorothy (Mitchell), siblings (infants) Alda Mae and, Dean Allan. Friends may gather with the family from 9-10am on Saturday, July 27 at the Carlson Colonial Funeral Home where a memorial service will be held at 10 am.
Memorial contributions in George’s name may be directed to El Dorado Senior Center and Butler Community College. Please sign his online guestbook and leave a memory of George at www.carlsonkirbymorris.com

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