George Rae Sloss

George Rae Sloss, age 86, passed away October 30, 2025, surrounded by family and love. He was preceded in death by his wife of 50 years, Jacqueline Delrez Sloss; parents, Louis and Georgina Sloss; brother Carl Sloss and sisters May, Helenor and Ivy. He was also preceded in death by his Delrez in-laws who loved him as their own. George is survived by children Rae (David) Green, Victor (Christine) Sloss, grandchildren Jacqueline (Rob) Campbell, Alec (Mackenzie) Green, and Lugh Snyder; great grandchildren Julian David and Westerly Rae Campbell; Scottish cousins Tom Woodbridge and Rae Reid and boyhood friend Allan Sharp. He was fortunate these last few years to spend time with special friend Ariadne Winquist. He is further survived by Debby Sloss, former-daughter-in-law, sister-in-law Lynn Sloss, brothers-in-laws John Bozik and Jerry Ashley and numerous nieces and nephews. The extended Green Clan who embraced George as part of their own also survive him.

George was born January 27, 1939, in Bowling Harbour, Scotland, a small village nestled along the north bank of the River Clyde. Like the country itself, Bowling is beautiful with dramatic scenery and awe-inspiring rolling hills dotted with George’s beloved blue bells.

The Clydebank shipyard was a critical part of the WWII British war effort, and a strategic target of the German Luftwaffe. The massive destruction that ensued served as backdrop for George’s early, formative years. Gavinburn Primary School was bombed, and he attended class in a Quonset hut warmed by a hot stone heater. His family and neighbors became a close-knit community grounded in survival and incredible resilience.  This resiliency became a driving character trait that defined George and served him well for the rest of his life.

In 1952, as the rest of his family departed for a new life in Toronto, Canada, a 12-year-old George waved goodbye from the docks, while grasping the hand of his tearful younger sister and said, “May, don’t worry I will take care of you.” And he did take care of her, as he would so many people throughout the course of his life. In 1954 George and May embarked on an epic adventure, boarding the RMS Ascania ocean liner heading to the new world to join their family. After a short stint at a Toronto high school, and with his family in need of money, he walked out of school, and the very same day secured a job reading ticker tapes sent via telegraph. George learned to translate symbols and transfer the incoming information to a chalk board for stock traders to quickly assess numerical changes. He described it as “stressful and fast paced.”

The lure of the booming auto industry led the Sloss Family to Detroit in 1958, settling in the suburb of Ferndale.  Detroit was a hub of advertising due to its proximity to the auto industry and George launched his first career at a notable agency, designing advertising campaigns at the age of 19.

It was around this time that George met Jacqueline “Jacqui” Delrez, with whom he began a 50 year journey. She was the perfect complement to his “larger than life” personality and they married when George was 20. With a beautiful baby girl on the way, George left the ad agency and began a successful career in rivet sales to the Big Three automakers, eventually rising to the position of “Senior Applications Engineer,” a title recognizing his legendary sales talent and engineering acumen. George worked at Townsend/Textron until retirement and maintained lifelong friendships with customers and colleagues alike.

Four decades of George and Jacqui’s life were spent in the Oak Park neighborhood where their children Rae and Victor were raised. It was a happy home filled with laughter, endless late-night gatherings, and friends who gravitated to the magic of their partnership, due in no small part to George’s gregarious personality and 12-string guitar. George’s long tenure as president of the Scottish St. Andrews Society, the oldest benevolent organization in the state of Michigan, allowed him to commune with fellow Scots and encourage the love of Scotland by honoring Scottish cultural life and history. Forty years in Detroit were defined by family, friends, fun and laughter all in a welcoming environment that fostered enduring friendships and enriched the lives of so many, including their own.

In the early 1970’s, without any background in construction, George built a cottage near the Silver Lake sand dunes, together with son Victor always in tow as his right hand “man.” The father and son duo spent many seasons together making the 4-hour trek from Detroit in a 1969 red Ford pick-up loaded with lumber and tools. The cottage became a place of cherished memories for George’s family and countless friends.

A move to Cascade, Michigan expanded George and Jacqui’s circle of friends and provided new opportunities for them to entertain. A rising flag on the gazebo – built by George to Jacqui’s specifications – would signal they were ready for an impromptu gathering, and neighbors would flock to visit and chat. The move to Cascade allowed them to be close to their kids and grandkids, most central to their lives.  In 2009 George lost Jacqui, his partner in adventure, a devastating and unexpected loss. George’s trademark resiliency carried him through the grief, and he spent the last decade and a half of his life close to his kids, grandkids and great grandkids, sharing the joy of storytelling and passing along traditions to be carried on and cherished. George’s last 3 years were spent as a part of the Clark Retirement community where he made friends and occasionally sang. “Oh Danny Boy” was the preferred favorite.

George lived his life embracing two fundamental values: family is paramount, and the mark of a life well lived is to be kind and caring to others. These values have been passed down to his children, and in turn their children, and will endure for generations.

Funeral Services will be held at 3pm on Wednesday, November 5, 2025, at O’Brien-Eggebeen-Gerst Funeral Home, 3980 Cascade Road SE, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49546, with visitation one hour prior. Interment 4:00 pm Cascade Cemetery; Celebratory gathering in Cascade 5-8pm, location to be announced at the service. Memorial contributions may be made to the Association for the Blind & Visually Impaired, 456 Cherry St SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49503.