Obituary of George Michael Ring

George Michael Ring died on June 7, 2013 at Overlook Hospital in Summit, NJ, the same hospital where his two cherished children were born over 30 years ago. George led a proud and full life. He was born in 1943 in Union, New Jersey, the fourth of five children of Viola and Aloysius Ring. He graduated from Union High School, from which he was later named a Distinguished Graduate. He earned his B.S. in Finance, and an M.B.A. from Seton Hall University, on whose Board of Regents he served for twenty years. He married his high school sweetheart Dee Furlong in 1965, and embarked on a life filled with adventure and service. Shortly after their marriage, while working for the 3M Company, George received his notice for military service. He entered the U.S. Army as an O.C.S. candidate in the spring of 1966. He was commissioned in February of 1967, and assigned as an infantry platoon leader in the 1st Air Cavalry Division in Viet Nam. He was later made Company Commander during the Tet Offensive, an aide-de-camp for Brigadier General Oscar Davis, and an aide to Lt. General. John Tolson. During his Viet Nam tour he was revered and respected by the men under his command. Highly decorated for his service, he was awarded The Distinguished Service Cross, the Silver Star, the Bronze Star with "V" for Valor, with a second award for service, The Air Medal with a "V" for Valor, with a second award for completing over 25 combat air assaults, the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry with Bronze Star, the Presidential Unit Citation, the Combat Infantryman badge, and the Air Assault Badge. He was later inducted into the O.C.S. Hall of Fame at the Infantry School, Fort Benning, Georgia. After leaving the Army, he joined the Chase Manhattan Bank in their Venture Capital group. Shortly after completing the bank's Global Credit training program, he was appointed an Assistant Treasurer of the bank. In the 1970's he entered the cable television industry on the manufacturing side as Financial Comptroller of Coral, Inc. He rose to Treasurer and Member of the Board of that company. In 1976, with his wife pregnant with their first child, he made a leap of faith and started his own company, Cross Country Cable. It was a resounding success in his home state of New Jersey, and he expanded into Virginia, Illinois, Puerto Rico, Arizona, California, and England. Many of the contracts into which he entered were done just on his handshake alone, as he had a reputation for integrity and honor. By 1990, he had sold his wired cable systems and embraced wireless cable technology, building one of the largest systems in the country, based in Riverside, California, after which he founded Wireless Cable International, Inc. During this part of his career he was designated a "Fifth Estater" by Broadcast and Cable Magazine, received a cable "Ace" award for original programming, was designated "Wireless Cable Operator of the Year" , and was featured in an article in Forbes Magazine. George was a social being; a man who thrived on knowing and helping people, and the value of his advice and counsel was reflected by the number of boards on which he was asked to sit. He was proud to serve as a Trustee for Wesleyan University, the PBS New Jersey Network Foundation, as President of the Watchung-Warren Rotary Club, where he was recognized as a Paul Harris fellow, Vice Chair of The New Jersey State Educational Opportunity Fund, and the New Jersey Council on Armed Forces and Veterans Affairs. He was inordinately proud of his children, and threw himself into coaching their softball and baseball teams, cheering from the bleachers for every basketball game, and supporting all their creative theater and film endeavors. He was an avid reader, an oenophile, a golfer who hit the links around the world, with the proud distinction of making not one, but two holes in one. He enthusiastically embraced life, and enriched the lives of those around him with his laughter and generosity. He is survived by his wife, Dee, his son Justin, his daughter Francesca O'Grady and her husband Mike. He also leaves his brother Michael and his wife Mary, his sister Mary Jane White and her husband Tom, his sisters in law, Mary Ring and Marlene Ring, his brother in law, Chuck Furlong and his wife Brenda, his brother in law Doug Furlong and his wife Maureen, and a myriad of well loved nieces, nephews, great nieces and nephews, such as you would find in a thriving close knit Irish family. A gathering will be held at Higgins Funeral Home in Watchung, New Jersey from 6 P.M. to 9 P.M. on Wednesday, June 12th. There will be an outdoor memorial service the following day. In lieu of flowers, please consider donations in George's name to the American Civil Liberties Union.