George Robert Binder

George R. Binder, 90, of Asheville passed away Thursday, August 1, 2024.

A native of Chicago, IL, George was born March 18, 1934 to the late Ruby and George Binder. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his first wife, Shirley Rodine Binder, who died in 1989 and one son, David Binder, who died in 2014.

He is survived by his present wife, Shirley Mae Biere Binder; three children from his first marriage, Jeff, Steve and Janet, and seven grandchildren.

George attended the University of Illinois and received a Bachelors degree in Business Administration with a major in advertising. He worked for IBM Corporation his entire working career and retired in 1989 after 32 years of service. His last position with IBM was in Omaha, NE where he was manager of the Nebraska, South Dakota, and Western Iowa area. For many years after his retirement, he would travel back to Omaha for reunions with a very close-knit group of retired IBMers who still live there.

During his time in Omaha, he held the position of Vice President of the Mid-America Conference of the Boy Scouts of America and earned the Silver Beaver award for eight years of directing the efforts of the Explorers division. He was also the Vice President of the Western Heritage Museum and directed several fund raising efforts. In addition, he was on the Board of Directors of Junior Achievement, The Boys and Girls Club, the Omaha Chamber of Commerce and the Omaha Economic Development Council.

George and his wife moved to Givens Estates in Asheville in 2014. He lead an active life as an avid golfer, belonging to several different clubs including River Wilderness CC in Parrish, FL and Wildcat Cliffs CC in Highlands, NC. He was also an avid fisherman, and searching for walleyes in Canada was one of his favorite adventures. He also enjoyed riding off road motorcycles on the various trails around Omaha, usually accompanied by his son, David and his friends.

George was an avid Chicago Cubs fan and frequently mentioned that he wanted to live long enough to see the Cubs win the World Series. That desire was satisfied in 2016 when they broke a 108-year drought and won the World Series. Later in life, he and Shirley traveled extensively, favoring cruises over other forms of travel. Australia and New Zealand were among their favorite trips.

In addition, George devoted time to the investment marketplace and used his computer knowledge to help people trouble shoot their computers. He was a member of the Highlands United Methodist Church.

George will probably be best remembered for his outspoken manner. As one friend said, with George, there was never an unexpressed thought. You always knew where you stood with him. He was fiercely loyal to his employees, friends, and family. He could not be described as diplomatic, but rather straightforward. It was hard to find George not in good humor. He liked to tell jokes that would make people laugh.

A memorial service will be held at 1:00 PM on Saturday, August 24 in the Pulliam Chapel at Givens Estates.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that memorial donations be made to a charity of one’s own choice.

Groce Funeral Home’s Lake Julian team is assisting the family.