George Saunders Leslie
George Saunders Leslie, 92, passed away on Thursday, December 15th in Thousand Oaks, CA, following a long illness. George is survived by his daughter, Pat Thomas, of Austin, TX, Ian Leslie, of Thousand Oaks, CA, his grandchildren Marc Leslie, Paul Leslie, Greg Thomas, and Valerie Thomas, and five great-grandchildren.
George grew up in Scotland, the son of the late William and Jemima Leslie. He served in the British Navy from 1940-1946 aboard the HMS Jervis, and worked for the Glasgow Herald as a distribution manager. George married Elizabeth Cocker on October 24th, 1940. George and Betty immigrated to the United States in 1955, settling in Burbank, and working for Warner Bros for 30 years. George enjoyed the movie industry, and always had interesting stories to tell about the many movie stars and personalities he knew and worked with.
Though George was a model citizen in his adopted country, his heart always belonged to Scotland. He and Betty were active in the United Scottish Societies in Los Angeles, and were instrumental in the growth and popularity of the southern California Highland Games. Following his retirement, George and Betty traveled often back to the “old country” to visit with family and see all the places they missed growing up.
Those of us who knew and loved George will remember him as a kind and generous man; a true gentleman who was always ready to share a story or pick up the check. He will be missed. A celebration of his life will be held Sunday, January 15th, at 1 pm at the Mayflower Club in North Hollywood.