George Louis Ambrose, a 42-year resident of Hamburg, died peacefully in his home with family after his battle with cancer on Jan. 9, 2023. He was 73.
He was born in New York on Sept. 27, 1949, the son of Cuban immigrant parents, Dora Elena Benitez-y-Ibanez and Humberto Rene Ambrose-y-Martinez.
He was most proud of his military service, volunteering for a tour during the Vietnam War as a medic with the U.S. Army’s Americal Division. Among his highest awards were the Combat Medical Badge and the Bronze Star Medal with a First Oak Leaf Cluster.
He graduated from Emerson High School in Union City and through the GI Bill attended Pace University. He then graduated with a business management degree from Fairleigh Dickinson University in 1985.
He worked for more than 30 years as a manager at New Jersey Bell, now Verizon.
George and Charlotte’s lifelong retirement dream to travel the U.S. in their RV was shortened, but they did enjoy the journey along the way.
George was the family genealogist and loved to study World War II and American West history via audiobooks and documentaries.
He was an outdoorsman who shared his love of camping, saltwater blue fishing and pheasant hunting with Brittany Spaniels.
He was a Second Amendment advocate who educated his community through firearm safety, marksmanship and defense training to hundreds in the local Boy Scouts and Women and Guns organizations.
In 2022, he was awarded the Hometown Hero Award by Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-5, for his commitment to his country and community.
He was predeceased by his parents.
George is survived by his beloved wife of 46 years, Charlotte Louise Lischick-Ambrose. He was a devoted dad to his three children: G. Alex Ambrose, Sarah Ambrose-Roman and Ellen Noel. He was lovingly called “Abuelo” by his five grandchildren: Elena, Ava, Viviana, Olivia and AJ. He is also survived by his sister, Maureen Ambrose; sons-in-law, Adam M. Roman and Peter Noel; and many cousins and brothers- and sisters-in-law.
A memorial visitation will be held Saturday, April 1 from 10 a.m. to noon at the F. John Ramsey Funeral Home, One Main St., Franklin. A Celebration of Life will be held at noon at the funeral home. Burial and military services will follow at the Northern New Jersey Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Sparta.
Please visit https://FergusonFuneralHomesNJ.com/ to offer online condolences.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in George’s memory to the U.S. Armed Forces Foundation, https://www.USArmedForcesFoundation.org/, a public charity that funds the VA Disability Law Center, which does pro bono legal assistance for veterans and their families, such as Agent Orange exposure claims and survivor death benefits as they did for him.
Donations also may be made to the Carol G. Simon Cancer Center at Morristown Medical Center, https://www.f4mmc.org/donate-now/, where he received caring cancer treatment.