Mr. George K. Tozian's Obituary
George K.Tozian, died April 9, 2007, at St. Joseph's Hospital. Tozian was born in New York City on June 9, 1924. In 1942, he enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Forces with which he first traveled to Florida to receive flight training and become a flight instructor at the Marianna Army Air Base. During his enlistment, Tozian was a member of the famed Flying Tigers' 26th Fighter Squadron, as a P51 fighter pilot on the China-Burma-India Route (1944-45). During his active service as a combat pilot, Tozian won the American Campaign Medal, Asiatic Pacific Campaign Medal, World War II Victory Medal and China War Memorial Award. After the war, he took a Bachelor of Science Fine Arts degree at Bradley University, Peoria, Illinois. He also became a licensed commercial pilot in 1946. Tozian moved to Florida in 1957, where he became a career employee of General Telephone and Electronics (GTE). During his 28 years at the telephone company, Tozian served as GTE's Manager of Digital Transmission, switching and outside plant engineering disciplines. He was responsible for some 460 supervisory and craft personnel, as well as the planning and implementation of $15-million in capital and an operating budget of some $5-million. Among his civic and business accomplishments, Tozian won the GTE Community Service Award (1970), was an outstanding president of the Tampa Optimist Club (1972), winner of the WFLA Businessman of the Day Award (1973), and was president of the GTE Political Action Club (1974).
What’s your fondest memory of George?
What’s a lesson you learned from George?
Share a story where George's kindness touched your heart.
Describe a day with George you’ll never forget.
How did George make you smile?