George & Evelyn Ghearing YMCA Fund

The George & Evelyn Ghearing YMCA Fund supports the Marion Family YMCA, specifically providing grants for youth programming and enrichment–preschool, child care camps, youth sports,and youth membership scholarships. Evelyn created the designated fund at George’s passing in 2019.

Evelyn and George met as children and married shortly after graduation from high school in 1943. George, a star baseball and football player, had planned on a career in coaching. World War II changed his life’s plan and George left for the Pacific Theater as a member of the United States Marines. On the morning of September 2, 1945, George Ghearing stood on the shore of Tokyo Bay and watched General Douglas McArthur take a launch out to the battleship U.S.S. Missouri to sign the documents that ended World War II. His Marine unit had the distinction of capturing the last Japanese battleship of the war.

While in the service, George was trained in telephony, leading to a highly successful career in telecommunications with Ohio Standard Company, a predecessor of General Telephone & Electronics.

The Ghearings had two sons, Gerry and Gilbert, and were blessed with 7 grandchildren. Both attended Ohio Northern University and earned degrees in business and education, respectively. George made his career with GTE in Marion and Evelyn teaching in the Marion City Schools before founding GRG Telecommunications in 1983.