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George Creegan

Dr. George Ronald Creegan, age 81, died at The Pines Rehabilitation Center in Canton, Ohio, on January 12, 2018, after a long illness. He was surrounded by family.

George was born June 7, 1936, in Cumberland, Maryland. He attended St. John’s College High School in Washington, DC, before graduating from Steubenville Catholic Central High School in 1955. That same year, George joined the United States Air Force, attaining the rank of Airman 1st Class.

On July 10, 1957, he married JoAnn Quattrone, his high school sweetheart and love of his life. George and JoAnn lived many places before settling in Steubenville, OH.

George was dedicated to learning, educating, and creating. He received his BA from the College of Steubenville in 1975 and his MS in education from the University of Dayton in 1980. George also received his doctorate in elementary education from the University of Pittsburgh 1989. Among his many accomplishments, George helped to found the Upper Ohio Valley Opera Guild, reviewed operas and other theatrical productions for various newspapers, and even released a full LP of his own operatic performances.

He is the author of multiple children’s books, stories, and plays, including Sir George’s Book of Hand puppetry and his Book of Magic.

He hosted an educational children’s show, “Creegan and Crow,” with his wife JoAnn for 13 years, appearing on both WTOV and WTRF in that time, impacting the educational growth of an entire generation of Ohio Valley children.

He was an avid collector of opera and classical music, both recorded and in print. An amateur Egyptologist, he led multiple tour groups from the United States to experience Egypt. A world traveler, he delighted in taking his family overseas and in recounting his adventures as a younger man abroad.

Perhaps most notably, Dr. Creegan and JoAnn started the Creegan Company in 1964 in downtown Steubenville, creating a memorable tourist attraction for people from both in and out of the valley. His legacy is cemented in the incredible achievements he made in both business and art, but most importantly in the loving, and now devastated, family that he leaves behind.

He will be remembered for often being the smartest man in the room, but he didn’t always let you know that (but sometimes he did). He will be remembered for giving so much of himself to help others, often to his own detriment. He will be remembered by generations of children, now adults themselves, who got to enjoy his creations for decades at Christmas, Easter, Halloween, you name it.

Dr. Creegan was preceded in death by his parents, Maxine and Gerald; his wife, JoAnn; and daughter Mary Elaine Feist.

He is survived by his sister, Kathleen; his son, Sean (Jean) Creegan; daughters, Joan (Charles) Benzo, and Kathleen Postlewait (Joseph Purcell); son-in-law, Tom Feist; Godson, Larry Coffman; nine grandchildren, Christopher Feist, Christine (Michael) DeMata, Sean Ryan (Jessica) Creegan, Ian Feist, Kyle Creegan, Jennifer (Scott) Sander, Elliott Postlewait, Caitlyn Benzo, and Joseph Benzo. He was blessed to meet his first great-grandchild, Isabella Carmela Creegan (Sean Ryan and Jessica), just this past year. George is survived by many other nieces, nephews, and friends.

Many thanks to the staff of The Pines of Canton and Mercy Hospice, as well as Mrs. Patty Manarino for their help and support when he needed it most.

Calling hours will be held on Tuesday, January 16, from 3-7 p.m. at the Dunlope-Shorac Funeral Home, 215 Fernwood Road., Wintersville, Ohio 43953. Funeral Liturgy with Mass will be celebrated at Holy Family Catholic Church Wednesday at 10 a.m. with Msgr. Gerald Calovini officiating. Burial at Mt. Cavalry Cemetery.

You are and will be missed.

Offer condolences at www.shorac.com.