George O. is a 91-year-old resident of Wellington Place of Sevierville, a Brookdale community in Tennessee. Ever the family man, George’s Wish of a Lifetime was to simply reunite with his sister Kathleen.
At just 18 years old, George’s father passed away and he took on the role of family provider. He stepped in to run the family grocery store for two years before volunteering for the Air Force. George served in the Air Force during WWII as the first lieutenant commander of a B-29 crew which flew nine missions against Japan. After returning from service, George was the primary caregiver to his mother for nearly 10 years while also earning a degree in business before starting his own family and career.
George’s family has always been close. He remembers how his parents gave him and his two sisters everything they could even though they had very little during the Great Depression. George and his sisters were very grateful for this and the shared experience kept them close throughout their lives even though jobs and families scattered the siblings around the country in later years. George had not seen his older sister Kathleen in almost 10 years and they were both yearning to reconnect.
On April 14, 2014 Wish of a Lifetime and Brookdale brought George’s sister Kathleen from Oklahoma City, OK to visit him in Tennessee. Kathleen traveled with her two daughters and the whole family gathered at Wellington Place for a reception. Over the rest of the trip the group spent most of their time together going on special outings and day trips. After his wish George said that getting to spend time with Kathleen again reminded him of their childhood and all the good times they shared in the past.
