GEORGE POOLE ALLISON, a retired aerospace engineer and avid sailor, died Thursday at Pickersgill Retirement Community in Towson. He was 94. He was born in Tekoa, Wash., and with his sister Mattie grew up on the family farm where they grew wheat, barley and lentils.

In 1931, he graduated in a class of just nine students at Latah High School in Latah, Wash., and spent four years at Washington State University in Pullman, Wash. where he graduated in 1936 with a B.S. degree in Electrical Engineering.

Fresh out of school, Mr. Allison took a job in what was then the latest new technology in communications--broadcast radio--where he broke into the business working for the KHQ-KGA radio station in Spokane, Wash. In 1941, he took a promotion to become the Chief Engineer for KGVO in Missoula, Mont., where he met Dorothy Burgess--one of the station's announcers--and they were married the next year. The couple moved to Washington DC during World War II, where he was a member of the United States Signal Corps. In 1945, he moved to Baltimore to work for Bendix, and the two settled in Towson.

Their son, Burgess, was born in 1951 and the family moved to Denver in 1955. Their daughter Sarah Jane was born in 1956, and the family returned to the east coast--first to Falls Church, Va., in 1958, then returning to Lutherville in 1960. While Mr. Allison worked in aerospace, Mrs. Allison taught special education at Kenwood High School and later became supervisor of special education programs for Baltimore County schools. After both of the children moved on to college and away from home, the couple found a place on the water in Essex. Dorothy passed away in 1995, and George decided to move into the Pickersgill Retirement Community, back in Towson, in June of 2000.

Living on the water was an important part of Mr. Allison's life, since he had been an enthusiastic sailor ever since he moved to the Chesapeake Bay area. Almost immediately, Mr. Allison began racing one-design sailboats--at first in the Comet class and later in the Lightning class that was so popular in the Chesapeake Bay Yacht Racing Association (CBYRA) at the time. He joined the Baltimore Yacht Club just as BYC adopted its then-new facilities on Sue Island in Middle River, and later became one of the area's most active sailing recruiters--bringing in, and teaching, new participants to the sport.

"Many of the active sailors in the area got their start," explained Mr. Allison's son, "by sitting in the second position as crew in Dad's Lightning. We raced the full series of regattas, every weekend all summer long, until the mid-70s." During his career as a sailor he was also active with the Severn Sailing Association, which sails out of the Severn River near Annapolis, and the Glenmar Sailing Association, out of Middle River.

As an engineer, Mr. Allison worked for many Baltimore-area participants in the aerospace industry. After Bendix, he moved to Melpar, then to The Martin Company (now Martin Marietta), and Westinghouse. Nearing retirement, Mr. Allison re-trained himself to work on PCs and began working to help computerize Church Hospital in Baltimore.

"After retiring," said Mr. Allison's son, "Dad never slowed down for even a moment. Oh, and after retiring, he switched to wearing red shirts." Indeed, those who knew Mr. Allison will remember him for his trademark red shirts, and red socks, which he wore exclusively. "It was his signature, and I think it was his own way of reaching out to people. Every shirt in his closet was red--it was his retirement uniform, one that he was happy to adopt."

Relationships were extremely important to both Dorothy and George. They were very active in the Towson Presbyterian Church throughout most of their lives, and developed strong relationships in Babcock Presbyterian Church as well. And in 2006, they celebrated their 60th consecutive Thanksgiving with a young family they met while George was working for Bendix--the Showalters.

Mr. Allison was an active member of the Villa Capri Homeowners Association in Essex--serving for a period of time as its Treasurer and serving throughout as one of its most vocal advocates on behalf of its residents. At BYC he was also quite active, honored as the oldest living member with the first commemorative license plate when BYC began participating in Maryland's Organizational Plate program. At Pickersgill, Mr. Allison remained extremely active, doing all the audio visual support for the facility, providing computer support to residents and numerous other volunteer activities. (He was very pleased to wind all the grandfather clocks at Pickersgill, every Sunday.) And throughout his life, Mr. Allison continued to own and manage the farm in Whitman County, and today--with the help of Ron and Mike McHargue of Tekoa--the farm still produces wheat, barley and lentils.

In addition to his sister Mattie Hyslop Isabell, now of Spokane, Wash., Mr. Allison is survived by his daughter Sarah Jane Allison of New York City, his son Burgess Allison of Vienna, Va., and Burgess' two children, Tracy Lee Allison who teaches special education in Pahala, HI, and Jack Allison who is a newly-graduated electrical engineer working at Edwards Air Force Base in California.

Friends are encouraged to make contributions in George's name to the American Cancer Society in lieu of flowers. A receiving of friends was held Sunday, April 13, at Ruck Towson Funeral Home in Towson, MD. Memorial services were held Monday, April 14, at Towson Presbyterian Church in Towson, MD.

George P. Allison - February 18, 1914 to April 10, 2008.