George Russell Thill

George Russell Thill, 96, passed away peacefully at his home in Fountain Hills on the morning of May 10, 2022. He was born Aug. 8, 1925, in Turtle Lake, Wis., to the late George

William Kasper and Elsie (Hüeftle) Thill and was the oldest of four children. George grew up during the Great Depression and was born into a large, extended German-speaking family of cheese makers and blacksmiths.

His immediate family was very poor. At an early age he had an exuberant spirit that willingly embraced life. He realized hard work and friendships coupled with education were the way out of poverty. He was a member of his eighth grade Student Council at Wausau Junior High, and president of his sophomore class at Mosinee High School, both in Wisconsin. He played many team sports and was on the yearbook committee. In 1944, at the age of 18, he became the youngest licensed cheese maker in the state, attending a program at the College of Agriculture at University of Wisconsin, Madison.

After a desire to join from the age of four, he enlisted with the U.S. Navy in 1944 and was quartered at Navy Pier in Chicago, Ill., eventually being sent by troop train to submarine training in Connecticut. He ultimately shipped out of California, and during his first mission in the Asiatic Pacific, WWII ended.

George chose to return to California, graduating from the University of California, Davis. Then he worked for the U.S. War Department as an official contractor establishing and managing dairy factories in Japan and British Hong Kong for four years with International Dairy Supply Co., producing Blue Seal milk and dairy products. After returning stateside, he attended Stanford University and graduated in the first-ever class of MBAs.

In 1956 George met his wife, Bonnie, at Dow Chemical Co. while a summer intern in the Market Research Department where he worked on a clear plastic film product that eventually became known as Saran Wrap. He went on to hold many executive positions in several East Coast and Midwestern companies.

The following year, daughter Nancy was born and five years later the family welcomed the birth of son Russell. The family moved often, eventually settling in the Chicago area where George joined W.T. Grimm & Co., later becoming a member of the Chicago Board of Trade, Olympia Fields Country Club and other organizations. He continued making many friends whom he valued throughout his lifetime. He and his family were avid skiers, and at one time were part owners of a condominium in Aspen, Colo. at the base of Ajax Mountain. He was a Board member for the rebuilding of the Flossmoor Library and Village Hall in Illinois. George retired from the workforce as a partner of Thill/Robbins Group, a Business Brokerage firm specializing in Mergers & Acquisitions.

Along the way, Bonnie had regularly visited their Illinois friends who wintered in the Rio Verde golf community in Arizona. It was here the couple made their final pilgrimage in retirement, spending many years enjoying golf and exploring Arizona’s countless wonders.

George was preceded in death by his parents; son, George Russell Thill II; siblings, James Thill, and Dolores (Thill) Combs. Survivors include wife, Bonnie; daughter, Nancy (Robert Kienle) Thill; and brother, William (Beverly) Thill.

The family wishes to thank the caregivers and staff of Fountain View Village and Suncrest Hospice for the excellent care they provided to George during his residence there.

Interment will be held at a future date at the National Memorial Cemetery of Arizona, 23029 N. Cave Creek Rd., Phoenix, AZ 85024. In lieu of flowers, donations in memory of George can be mailed to Shriners Children’s Chicago, 2211 N. Oak Park Avenue, Chicago, IL 60707; or by calling 773-622-5400.