George Harrington BILLINGS
Obituary

Obituary of George Billings '72:
May 19, 1950 - August 20, 2021
George Harrington Billings, President of Billings & Co., a management consulting firm serving both Fortune 500 and development stage companies, died Friday, August 20, 2021, at his home in Falmouth, MA. The son of Elliot A. and Priscilla Robb Billings, he was 71. Mr. Billings grew up in Florida and summered in Falmouth, MA. He attended Phillips Academy at Andover and Brown University, from which he was graduated in 1972. He went on to receive an MBA from Harvard Business School. Mr. Billings was the first General Manager of the first commercial cellular market in the U.S. in Baltimore-Washington and later built out the first cellular network in Bryan-College Station, Texas. He was a pioneering executive in the satellite TV industry in the United States and Latin America. He served on the boards of directors of many private and public companies and is a former director of Avid Technology, Cambridge Strategic Management Group, Cignal Global Communications, Symmetry Communications Systems, Inc., and Melior Innovations, Inc., among others. He was an extraordinary swimmer, sailor, gardener, storyteller, host, party-giver and friend to many. One described his “sparkling wit and intellect, kindness and generosity, buoyant spirit, and the way his eyes lit up with joy when surrounded by friends, family and his devoted dog Lily.” For his mother’s 80th birthday, he produced a surprise gala for family and friends under a tent in his yard, with a lavish catered meal, musicians from Andover, and entertainment. At age 57 on a morning marked by high winds and choppy surf, he swam from Nobska Point, Woods Hole, to Martha’s Vineyard, a distance of 4 ½ miles, an achievement he had set his sights on when he was 10 years old. He was a life-long member of the Quissett Yacht Club and an active member of the Board of the Quissett Harbor House Land Trust. He participated on the Board of Overseers of the Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole, MA. He also supported local environmental organizations such as the Quissett Harbor Preservation Trust, The 300 Committee, Salt Pond Area Bird Sanctuaries and the Woodwell Climate Research Center. A dedicated and longtime volunteer leader, he was a former member of the annual giving board of Phillips Academy in Andover. At Brown University he served as a trustee on the University’s Corporation, its highest governing body; elected secretary and president of the Brown Alumni Association; president of the Association of Class Leaders; co-chair of the Brown entrepreneurship funding initiative and member of the Brown Annual Fund Executive Committee. He served as the Class of 1972 President for many years and provided leadership for class engagement fundraising activities. In 2002 he received the Brown Alumni Association’s Alumni Service Award, and in 2008, the Brown Bear Award, Brown’s highest award for alumni service. On the day of his death, Dr. Christina Paxson, the President of Brown University, visited George’s bedside, conferring on him the honorary degree of Doctor of Humane Letters and presenting him with a doctoral hood. Although unable to speak, George’s face lit up with a large grin. Throughout his life he spread light and love, right until the end. He is survived by his brothers Charles (Sharon) and John (Bridget), sister Cynthia Billings Atwood (Wallace), and sisters-in-law Barbara Billings and Ruth Billings as well as many nieces, nephews and godchildren whom he considered family. His brothers, the Rev. Stephen Billings and Roger Billings, and a niece predeceased him. In light of Covid guidelines, the in-person Memorial Service at Church of the Messiah, Woods Hole, on Saturday, September 25, 2021 at 1 pm will be limited to family and extended family. The service will be broadcast live via Zoom, and friends are encouraged to participate virtually. BOOKMARK this obituary page return on 9/ 25/ 21 to access the Zoom Link. A Celebration of Life for friends and family will take place at the Woods Hole Golf Club, 130 Quissett Avenue, Woods Hole, MA on Saturday, October 9, 2021 from Noon to 2 pm. Contributions in George's memory may be made online to the Institute at Brown for Environment and Society (IBES), or by mail to Institute at Brown for Environment and Society, Brown University, Box 1877, Providence, RI 02912-1877. Please reference in memory of George H. Billings '72.

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