George C. Springer, Sr.

November 9, 1932 - December 19, 2006

George C. Springer, Sr., 74, of New Britain, husband of Geraldine Brown-Springer, died Tuesday December 19, 2006 at Hospital of Central Connecticut. Born in Panama, he attended Teachers College of Connecticut now CCSU and received graduate degrees from the University of Hartford and CCSU. He served as past president of the New Britain Chapter NAACP; the board of directors of Klingberg Family Center; a Trustee of the New Britain Foundation of Public Giving; He was a corporator for the New Britain Boys and Girls Club and the New Britain YMCA; And served on the Board of the New Britain Friendship Center. George has been the Northeast Regional Director for the American Federation of Teachers since July 2001. Prior to that appointment, he was president of the 20, 000-member Connecticut Federation of Educational and Professional Employees for 22 years. Springer was a vice president of the American Federation of Teachers from 1988-2001. George taught graphic arts and African American history during his 20 year teaching career in New Britain from 1959 – 1979 where he was a coach of Baseball, Soccer and Volleyball. Throughout that period, he held various union leadership positions, including president of the New Britain Federation of Teachers. George is a member of the National Commission for African American Education, board member and chairman of the education committee of Amistad America Inc., and vice president of the John C. Rogers African American Cultural Center Inc. Geroge succeeded at the important things in life. He was a wonderful husband, father, grandfather, brother, uncle, and friend; he was a family man extraordinaire. He gave and shared his talents as an activist, a teacher, organizer and union leader and in doing so, became a great humanitarian. The breath of his accomplishments placed him in the March on Washington while he was a young man in his twenties and in South Africa as a monitor of the election of Nelson Mandela, in his sixties. His understanding of the plight of the underprivileged and his legacy of fight for them made him a champion for justice and freedom here in the U.S. and throughout the world. George was a moral and ethical man, whose motivation was simply the restoration of love, compassion, dignity and respect to all. Besides his wife “Gerri”, he leaves a son, Atty. George C. Springer, Jr. and his wife Laura of New Britain; two daughters, Rosina Audette and her husband Robert of Chicago, IL; and Linda Broderick and her husband Frank of Plainville; a step daughter, Joaquina A. Brown of New Britain; two brothers, Oswald Springer and his wife Ruth of Brooklyn, NY; and Berteley Springer and his wife Elaine of Chicago, IL; a sister, Ruth Mae Russell and her husband Frank of Tallahassee, FL; a loving and devoted sister-in-law, Latonya Thompson of New Britain; 10 grandchildren, five great grandchildren; many nieces and nephews. Funeral services are Saturday 10 AM at Spottswood AME Zion Church, 25 Crestwood Lane, New Britain. Burial will be in Fairview Cemetery. Calling hours are Friday 4 to 8 PM at Carlson Funeral Home, 45 Franklin Square, New Britain. Memorial donations may be made to the Gerri Brown-Springer Scholarship Fund, c/o OIC, 1 Grove Place, New Britain, CT 06051 or to the John E. Rogers African-American Cultural Center, P.O. Box 1931, Hartford, CT 06144. Please share a memory or note of sympathy by clicking on "GUESTBOOK" at the bottom of this page.