Ignatius William "George" Scarpulla, Philadelphia, PA and Oro Valley, AZ resident, died of leukemia on September 24th in his Arizona home. He was born in Bronx, NY in 1926, the youngest son of Sicilian immigrants. Ignatius, known as Iggy to family, adopted an American nickname, George, which he used for his adult life. George lived a colorful life, full of diversity and unique experiences. Intrepid in nature, he forged a new path for his generation and raised a family to conduct their lives with similar ambition and spirit. George's career as a professional engineer brought adventure and travel to the family, sometimes with significant inconvenience for a clan of seven, which included back and forth travel to the South Pacific and several home relocations. In 1942, at the age of 16, George was certified and enrolled into the Air Warden Service of the U.S. Citizens Defense Corps. In 1946, George was drafted into the U.S. Army Air Force and served as a weather observer, then later graduated from Manhattan College and worked toward his Master's Degree in Civil Engineering at Fordham University. While at Manhattan College, he was President of Il Circolo Dante Alighieri, a campus organization focused on the study of Italian arts and culture. The club originated Sunday afternoon tea dances that became popular with the men of Manhattan College and the women of neighboring schools. He met his wife of 55 years, Rosemarie Scalese, at one of the tea dances and they married in 1951. As a structural and professional engineer (PE) licensed in both New York and Pennsylvania, his early work included jobs at the City of New York, Pratt & Whitney Aircraft and various architectural and engineering firms in the New York area. George's illustrious career was dominated, however, by a pioneering 30-year stint at RCA in Moorestown, New Jersey where he served as a civil engineer. As site manager for the Aegis facility, an entire battleship superstructure planted in the middle of a New Jersey cornfield, he led a team responsible for construction and maintenance. In the mid-60's, also while at RCA, he moved his young family of seven to Kwajalein Island, a U.S.-territory in the Marshall Islands atoll in the South Pacific, for an adventuresome two-year stay. On Kwajalein, he was charged with the construction and maintenance of housing domes for radars used in anti-ballistic missile testing. Further testing occurred under George's supervision in Naples, Florida, White Sands, New Mexico, Colorado Springs, Colorado and even a remote location in the Arctic Circle, Alaska. He returned to Kwajalein twice more in the following two decades with various family members for shorter stays. That special time left an indelible mark on his family. It was a testament to George's mettle and life-long willingness to try new things and disregard his comfort zone for the betterment of the individual, the family, his work and development of new ideas. He retired from RCA in 1988. Throughout their lives, George and his wife Rosemarie maintained interest in real estate, history and a study of the arts. This passion led the couple to be among the first families responsible for the revitalization of Philadelphia's historic Society Hill area. In 1971, the area was run down, dilapidated and abandonded. They took a chance on the purchase of a shell of a townhouse at 3rd and Spruce Streets, which later became the family home for many years. George and Rosemarie restored four (and lived in two) Society Hill townhouses to colonial-era accuracy, all of which have been certified by the Historic Commission of the City of Philadelphia. The impressive Boker-Binney House, on 3rd Street at Locust Walk, is of particular note. George went on to restore several properties in nearby New Jersey. The family also enjoyed summers in Stone Harbor, New Jersey, where they owned a condominium and a small sailboat, finding recreation and family time as important as hard work. George and Rosemarie were very active at Old Saint Joseph's Catholic Church in Philadelphia. George served on the advisory board responsible for architectural restoration work for the historic location. George was heavily involved in the Society Hill Civic Association for many years, having organized an advocacy group to encourage residents to up-keep their historical homes. He served on the Zoning and Historic Restoration Committee as well as worked with wife Rosemarie on the Chilton's 1994 Guide to Historic Society Hill. George and Rosemarie purchased their second home in Oro Valley, AZ where they wintered. After his wife's passing in 2006, he primarily lived in Tucson where he made many new friends. In retirement, George was an avid bridge player and golfer, and he maintained his interests in real estate, even involved with renovating and re-selling houses with his daughter Clare in Tucson as recently as a month before his passing. George was a "people person" and could draw out almost anybody. As teenagers, his children were often embarrassed when he would "interview" their friends. He knew that people (even teenagers) love to talk about themselves, yet he also had a genuine interest in others. In recent hospital visits, George knew the life stories, anecdotes and personal details of most of the attending doctors and nurses. He was a conversationalist, and always wanted a "full report" of his children's activities, whether for the last hour or the last year, and with every minute detail. George was a to-do list person, too, and he taught his only granddaughter the fine art of bullet-point list making just as soon as she could write. His charm, humor and enduring good looks made George a very special and well-loved character by all he encountered throughout his long life. George was a loving and wonderful father, and was very proud of his children and their accomplishments. Wife Rosemarie passed in 2006, daughter Caren of New Rochelle, NY passed in 2007. He is survived by son John (Rancho Palos Verdes, CA), daughters Marie (Philadelphia, PA), Clare (Oro Valley, AZ), and Madelyn (New York, NY), granddaughter Marlena (New York, NY), brother Carmine (San Antonio, TX) and sister Rose (Bronx, NY). He was 85 years old. Services: 10am Saturday October 15th Old Saint Joseph's Church 321 Willings Alley Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19106 Followed by burial with military honors at Calvary Cemetery, West Conshohocken, PA. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in George's name (Parishoner #482) to Old Saint Josesph's Historic Preservation Corporation, address above.