George Pelletier Sr. passed away on April 10th at The Hospice Cottage in Sioux Falls, following a brief illness.

George and his wife of 66 years Ellie had lived in Hartford, South Dakota since 1983. George was born in Boston, Massachusetts in 1937. He served in the Air Force from 1955 until 1959. He married Ellie in 1959 and settled in St. Petersburg, Florida. George and Ellie had two children, George Jr. in 1962 and Mark in 1965.

George was a Firefighter in Florida where they remained until 1969, when the family relocated to Houston, Texas. They remained in Texas until 1978 when they moved to Emmetsburg, Iowa. George worked as a truck driver until his retirement in 2000. The couple relocated to Hartford, South Dakota in 1983. Upon his retirement, George became a school bus driver for the West Central School district, a role in which he continued until 2022. In those 22 years, George drove numerous Athletic Teams, Bands, Field Trips, Choirs, and other activities for the school. George talked often about being involved in the lives of the West Central kids, as the most rewarding aspect of his 58 years of employment. George was named the South Dakota “School Bus Driver of the Year” in 2017, a recognition of which he was extremely proud. George was a 4th Degree member of the Knights of Columbus. He was an active member of St. George’s Parrish in Hartford, SD. George enjoyed Golf, Fishing, Sports, and every team from the City of Boston!

He is survived by his wife Ellie, his two sons George Jr. and Katie of Morgantown West Virginia, and Mark and Grayce of Sioux Falls, six grandchildren and three great grandchildren and several nieces and nephews.

Visitation will be from 5p to 7pm to on April 14th at St. George in Hartford. Celebration of Life will be 10:30am on April 15th, also at St. George. In lieu of flowers, donations are welcome at St. George Catholic Church or at West Central School District.