George W. Stilabower

George died Wednesday April 24, 2013 at Hidden Lake Care Center, Raytown, Missouri on a sunny day enjoying a cigar on his patio while wearing his St. Louis Cardinals jacket. He loved his Cardinals, fishing, hunting, playing cards, pitching horseshoes, bowling (289), living at the Lake of the Ozarks, boating, putting together puzzles and cocktail hour with friends and family.    He was born November 13, 1920 in Barton County Missouri, the son of Frank and Stella Stilabower. He married Malinda F. (Linda) Divine in 1941 in Elkton, MD. They lived in Patterson, NJ, where he was working for Wright Aeronautics. They returned to the Lamar area in August 1941. They had two daughters-Sandra, who was born in 1945 and Karen, who was born in 1947. They moved to Chillicothe, MO in 1951. They were blessed with their only grandson, Andy, in 1976. George worked for Churchill Truck Lines for 25 years before retiring and moving to the Lake of the Ozarks in 1977. On weekends their house at the Lake was always full of people having a good time-boating, skiing, and eating. Champagne breakfasts on the pontoon and fish fries were frequent activities. During retirement, George was able to go see his Cardinals play ball in almost all of the National League Stadiums.    In July 2012, George and Linda moved to a retirement apartment in Raytown. In December they moved to Hidden Lake Care Center where Linda died on January 1, 2013.    He was also preceded in death by his parents, Frank and Stella Stilabower, his sister, Allene Divine and his daughter, Sandra Caraway.    He is survived by his daughter, Karen Thompson and her husband, Allan of Raytown; son-in-law Joe Caraway of Kansas City; grandson, Andy Caraway and his partner, Gary, of Overland Park, KS; his sister Leta McNally of Chillicothe, MO, his brother Edwin (Bud) Stilabower of Lamar, MO, sister-in-law, Claude Dean McDonald and many loving and caring nieces & nephews.    We will miss George and are very grateful for all the great times we had together.    Family visitation will be Saturday from noon until 1:00 p.m. with the funeral service beginning at 1:00 p.m. at Daniel Funeral Home, 1201 Broadway, Lamar, MO 64759.    Burial will be at Morehead Cemetery, six miles East of Lamar.    In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to Kansas City Hospice and Palliative Care, 9921 Ward Parkway, Suite 100, Kansas City, MO 64114