George Caig was an incredibly kind, smart and loving man, and I was very blessed to have him as my Dad. God bless his kind soul, and may he rest in peace...
George H. Caig passed away on March 30th, 2021, at the age of 92 in Piedmont, CA after living a long and very fulfilling life. George, who was often referred to by his nickname, “Jud” was an incredible man, and a caring and loving father, husband, grandfather, great grandfather, and a good friend to many people.
George is survived by his wife of more than 40-years, Julie, his two daughters, Sue, and Martha, and his two stepsons, Kurt, and Keith. Additionally, between their two combined loving families, they have nine grandchildren, and ten great-grandchildren.
George was very appreciative of the beauty of nature and greatly enjoyed learning about plants, flowers, and trees - locally and throughout his travels with his family, friends, and with his beloved wife, Julie. He was also a “green thumb” and enjoyed teaching his children about the greatness of the outdoors, and he found fulfillment tending to his garden at their home in Piedmont.
Born at Fabiola Hospital in Oakland, CA on July 8th, 1928, George was raised in Piedmont and learned the value of creating stability and long-term planning due to his formative years during the Great Depression (1929-36). He went to Wildwood Elementary School and discovered his passion for exploring the outdoors by becoming an active member in the Boy Scouts, and eventually became an Eagle Scout. He loved athletics, especially playing basketball and baseball. At Piedmont High School, “Jud” was an excellent basketball player and was known as a great shooter of long-range baskets. Jokingly, he referred to his best shots as, “punishing the nets” which he loved to do while playing a game of basketball in town - his favorite form of recreation into his late seventies.
After graduating from Piedmont High School in 1946, George attended the University of California at Berkeley, where he advanced his business acumen while also developing new friendships. He was also an upstanding member of the Delta Tau Delta fraternity. As a student at Cal, Jud and his buddies attended three Rose Bowl games to support the Bears (Jan 1949-51). During his tenure at Cal, Jud realized he loved reading, and hence began his lifelong hobby of enjoying books, non-fiction, and fiction. Throughout his life, Jud would have stacks of books piled up near his favorite reclining chair that he was actively reading. On a special note, for more than fifty-years after graduating from Cal, Jud and Julie and their friends attended the Cal vs. Stanford ‘Big Games’ together, and they were at the famous game known as “The Play” on November 10th, 1982.
Along with some of his friends, Jud explored the Sierra Mountains via hiking, fishing, and camping trips, which included treks into the high-altitude regions where they would catch various species of fish, including the elusive Golden Trout.
Jud graduated from Cal in 1950 and then proudly served his country as an Officer in the United States Army after going through boot camp at Ford Ord in Monterey, CA. During his time in the service, he was stationed throughout northern California, and especially enjoyed his time spent at the Marin Headlands, the Presidio in San Francisco, and in the east bay hills near the area known as the Caldecott region.
After being honorably discharged from the Army, George had a remarkably steady and prosperous career in the insurance industry and spent nearly 40-years with the same firm, the Fireman’s Fund. He worked at their corporate office in San Francisco and Novato, CA. George became a trusted figure within the industry; and was especially known for his diligent work in the Bonds department, reviewing, detailing, and underwriting numerous mid-to-large scale construction projects throughout the bay area and northern California during his career.
In large part due to George’s ability to plan, coupled with their desire to explore the world, Jud and Julie and their group of lifelong friends began to travel the globe. Their trips became a semi-annual event after their gatherings held in Los Osos, CA to discuss all things considered for their next escapade. Their group toured Italy three times, Spain, Ireland, England, Scotland (George’s ancestors built McCaig Tower long ago), France, Portugal, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Germany, Switzerland, Canada, and many beautiful places throughout the United States of America. And for Jud and Julie, their local getaways to Mendocino, CA became their favorite place to be together.
Incredibly, Jud never learned to play golf until after he retired from working, but then he discovered his enjoyable, yet “frustrating” new hobby in golf. Since he loved to walk and hike, and desired to play sports, he quickly got hooked on the game that helped to keep him active throughout his golden years.
Volunteerism became a second calling during Jud’s retirement, and he cherished giving back some of his time and energy to those in need. He was honored to step up as a hardworking volunteer at Providence Hospital in Oakland for several years, and he assisted with the Piedmont Police Department to serve those in his hometown.
George was a first-class person throughout his life. He was a patient, humble, and loving family man, who always put his family first. He also treated his closest friends with the utmost love and respect, and he was there to assist whenever called upon.
Jud will always be remembered for being an outstanding person, and for making the lives of his family and friends even better than they could have imagined. Respectfully, the Caig and Bryan families thank you for keeping them in your thoughts and prayers during this difficult time, as they learn to live their lives with the loving memory of Jud in their hearts and minds forever.
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