George was born March 31, 1926 to George Corkle, Sr. and Alice Elizabeth Otellio, in West Mineral, Kansas.  George was the middle son of three boys.  George Sr. worked in the underground coal mines in Kansas and moved his family to Oak Creek, Colorado in 1929.   George grew up in and around Oak Creek and Pinnacol, CO.  He went to school through the 8th grade, when he quit school to begin working at the Victor American Fuel Company Store.

March of 1949, a friend told George, Jr. of an opportunity to work in Alaska.  He moved his family to Walden to be near his mother Alice's sister, Louise Burt, but George never made it to Alaska.  He worked odd jobs, one being at a railroad tie sawmill in Coalmont, then as a clerk at the Red and White Store.  The fall of 1950, Standard Oil was building a new gas station across the street from the Red and White Store, George went to see if they needed someone to run the Station but was told there was already a manager.  Days later he was contacted to see if he would run the Standard Oil Bulk Delivery in Walden.  George agreed, and after a month of training, George was handed the keys to the Standard Oil Bulk Plant. February 1, 1951 was his first official day on the job, but for 3 weeks it was so cold, with temperatures at -50 that he never got his delivery truck started.

October 5, 1952 he married Harriet Lucille "Pat" Manville.  Together, they had 3 boys; George Patrick, Harry Edward, and Hughie Eugene.  The family worked together in many of the business's George started.  George and his family played as hard as they worked.  They spent many weekends camping, traveling, or snowmobiling. They were even known to take a picnic basket with them in the truck during a fuel delivery. George and his family went on a snowmobile trip to Yellowstone and traveled to the Rose Bowl in 1973.  The family made many trips to Lake Powell.  George and Pat took a trip to Hawaii January 1979, and while in Hawaii, it snowed! Sadly, George's wife Pat passed away in January, 1986, after a two year battle with cancer.  George continued to work hard and stay busy.  September 14, 1989 George was united in marriage to Elaine Osborne.

As a side business George went into business with Jack Peterson.  They rented aluminum boats for fishing. November of 1957 George's brother Bob returned from the service.  Together they started Corkle's Little Market. The store was located 1 mile north of Walden, because no one in town would sell them a building or land.  George started Handy Dan's ice business for the family and everyone helped make ice and did deliveries, until the demand for ice grew, and ice was brought from Denver. In the early 1970's George and his brother built and opened Corkle's Mini Mart north of Cowdrey, to provide groceries for families working at the fluorspar mine. Mid 1970's Standard Oil diversified and was sold to Amoco Oil and in 1976 George purchased the business from Amoco Oil.  In the early 1980's George and his brother bought the Standard/Amoco Station in Walden and opened Corkle's Mini Mart II. Eventually George sold his interest in the grocery business to his brother.

George semi-retired and for the next several years George and Elaine traveled.  George sold Corkle's Oil to his son George P. January 1, 1997, but kept a hand in the business he built and loved.  Eventually he retired to Yuma, AZ as a "SnowBird" and spent many winters with friends, fishing, and driving his golf cart.  He spent many summers camping in his motor home on 40 acres he owned near Gould.  Many of his "retirement" days were spent helping drive fuel trucks for Corkle Oil or puttering around in his shop.

George is survived by his second wife, Elaine, his three sons, George P. (Trish), Hughie, Harry (Donna),  granddaughters Kristy, Chantel Contiguglia (Andy), great granddaughters, Gabrielle, and Brooklyn,  stepson Brent Osborne (Cindy) step grandsons Tyler, Travis and Deegan, step daughter Angie Page, (Frank) step granddaughter, Katelyn, step grandson, Kevin, step granddaughters, Nicole Rabas (Dustin), Lindsey Gonzales (Anthony) step grandson Ivan and step granddaughter Brooklyn.

The family has asked that instead of flowers; please send a donation to Mountain Valley Bank, George Corkle, Jr. Memorial.  All donations will be given to North Park Fire Rescue Authority and North Park Ambulance Service.

A memorial will be held 11:00 a.m., Friday, February 23, 2018 at the North Park Community Church in Walden with a luncheon to follow.