Obituary of George Gostas

George Frederick Gostas, beloved father and brother, passed away peacefully on Sunday, August 3, 2014, in Tucson, Arizona, following a brief illness. He was 78 years old. He is survived by his brother Theodore, son Thomas, grandson Kirtane Chiron, niece Laura Stamp, nephews Demetrius Gostas and Jason Kivisto, and their families. A celebration of life will be held 2pm August 14 at the Laramie County Library in Cheyenne. George was born in Spencer, Nebraska, in August of 1935. Soon after, his parents moved to Bayard, Nebraska, where George and his brother Ted spent early childhood. Around 1940 his parents moved the family to Cheyenne and opened the downtown diner Jim’s Cafe, an enterprise they ran for nearly 25 years. George’s love of poetry, writing, music, and intellectual challenge showed at an early age, and while in high school he became a chess champion and a self-taught judo practitioner. He briefly attended the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and completed his undergraduate work at the University of Wyoming at Laramie, earning a BA in English. George earned a master’s degree in Library Science from the University of Denver in 1960. While there, he met and married Elnora Tucker. He accepted a position at the Elmhurst Public Library in Illinois, and his son Thomas was born three years later. It was during this time that he was diagnosed with bi-polar disorder, an illness that he faced with courage and determination throughout his life. The family settled in LeMars, Iowa, in 1965, where George became the cataloging librarian for Westmar College Library. He became known in the community as a compassionate and reflective person, engaging often in long conversations with friends and neighbors. A natural teacher with a gift for explaining complex issues in simple terms, he was a favorite with his son’s classmates and the neighborhood children. During the Vietnam War, George became active in the national MIA support organization, preparing care packages for soldiers oversees. In the mid-1970s, George and his family moved briefly to Macomb, Illinois, settling finally in Fort Dodge, Iowa. He divorced in 1978, and spent the next five years in New York City. Here he volunteered in the medical library of St. Vincent’s Hospital, and found great satisfaction in his work, his friendship with Dr. Julia Mayo-Johnston, and in the rich tapestry of New York life. George returned to Cheyenne in 1985 to care for his aging mother, and he volunteered in the Public Library. Ten years later he moved to Boise, Idaho, to be close to his son and family. He volunteered with local mental health organizations, and pursued his interests in writing and chess. He moved with his son’s family to Tucson in 2010. Throughout his life, George touched many people with his kind, insightful words, clever but gentle sense of humor, and challenging conversation. We will all miss him.