Paolacci, 82, of Traverse City passed away on February 8, 2026.

George was born on March 16, 1943 in New York City to the late Lorenzo and Franca (Ronci) Paolacci. He was proud of growing up in New York and of his Italian heritage.

George was an electronics engineer for over 40 years, working for RCA and the Federal Aviation Administration. A significant part of his career included pre and post work with GPS in both civilian and military (space) applications. Having had a lifelong love of learning, he also enjoyed Ham radio, woodworking, and doing math for fun. When his daughter was in college, he helped her with her physics homework by buying the same textbook she was using and did the math with her.

He was active with 9-12 and the Founding Players, a group that helped bring the stories of America’s founding fathers and mothers to the public, playing Benjamin Franklin with much enthusiasm. While his children were growing up, he took pride in being involved in their various activities, from his daughter’s choir concerts and track meets to his son’s baseball games, and building electronics kits together with both of them.

Generous to a fault, George was known as a person you could count on to help you out in a time of need, however he could. He was also well-known for his colorful life stories — ask anyone their favorite “George” story and they’ll have one!

A lover of animals, George had many dogs and cats in his life, with a particular love of German shepherds. He also loved to cook Italian food he learned from his mother, and especially enjoyed making very large batches of soup for his family. Yearly family vacations to places like Disney World or Williamsburg were also cherished memories.

He was a faithful member of St. Michael’s Catholic Church in Suttons Bay.

George was preceded in death by his parents. He is survived by his wife of 40 years Barbara; their daughter Catherine (Alessio) and son Thomas (Stephanie); sisters Sandra and Theresa; nephew Richard and nieces Laura, Alicia, and Francesca.

The Mass of Christian Burial will be held on May 26, 2026 at 11 am at St. Michael’s, followed by lunch and then burial.

Memorial contributions may be directed to LaSalle Academy or Manhattan University in New York. https://www.lasalle-academy.org/alumni/ supporting-la-salle https://manhattan.edu/giving/index.php Please visit www.reynolds-jonkhoff.com to share your memories and condolences with his family.