Obituary of George Hurtuk

George Edward Hurtuk, age 67, passed away peacefully in Toms River, NJ on August 15, 2024. A proud “baby boomer”, George was born on August 23, 1957 in Hoboken to his mother Rose “Rosie” Rieb and father Stephen Hurtuk. As a longtime resident of North Bergen and Fairview, NJ, George lived a life spent loving and caring for everyone who crossed his path, regardless if they were family, friends, or a complete stranger he passed. If you had the privilege of knowing George, your life was touched by a soul who sought nothing more than helping those around him as much as he could. George spent the majority of his time with the love of his life and wife of 40 years, Eileen Wende Hurtuk. From the moment he laid eyes on his soon to be wife, George swore that he would marry her and spend the rest of his life with her. After 3 years of friendship, the two finally connected and it was a match made in heaven. You couldn’t hear the name George without knowing his wife, nor could you mention Eileen without her talking about George. Often deemed by George himself to be “the best day of his life”, George and Eileen were married on a date he swore to never forget, January 23rd, 1999. The amount of laughs, tears, triumphs and feats were immeasurable throughout the span of their relationship. No two people ever loved each other more than Eileen and George, who through it all, stayed true to their promises and never left each others side. Often deemed the “man with 100 different jobs”, George was an incredibly charismatic and entertaining auctioneer and antique dealer, however, he was no stranger to trying different things. As a former deputy sheriff for the Hudson County Police Department, George was always making sure to care for his family and those around him. If it was a job, you could guarantee George has some experience in it, including being a truck driver, giving out free ice cream to kids and subsequently “forgetting” to charge them for it (which eventually cost him that job), hosting estate sales for famous comedian’s mothers, or just curating his own collection of random antiques that filled his living room to the brim. Loved by so many and called “Baby-Face George” well into his 60s, George loved spending time with his family who he deemed to be “The Triangle” and had quite the special relationship with a small yorkie 10x his size known as Cupcake. Aside from his bleached white hair, George was easily recognizable by the dented gray van that drove endlessly around town with yellow paint adoring the sides that definitely wasn’t from him accidentally backing into a pole at the local post office. Driving his youngest daughter, Wende Hurtuk (24) from preschool through college in the same metallic colored van made him a favorite sight to see each and every day and responding to “don’t let the bedbugs bite” everynight truly made George the best father in the world. George was a passionate NY Giants fan and passed down his love for the team as well as his knack for history and music taste to his daughter Wende Hurtuk. From sneaking her into a casino at 15, to seeing her roll five 7s in a row on a craps table on her 21st birthday in Resorts Casino in Atlantic City, George always took things as they came to him and handled them with ease. He loved going to Atlantic City and Disney World with his family every year and did everything in his power to support the people he loved. George always loved taking long rides and rolling the windows down listening to his favorite bands, The Beatles and Led Zeppelin on his old cassette tapes. Despite spending most of his childhood summers in Vernon, NJ with his parents and three siblings, John, Mary, and Stephen Hurtuk, George always had a special connection to the Jersey shore. Aside from frequently driving his wife, Eileen, down to Seaside just so she could have the “perfect shrimp” next to the bridge or bringing his daughter to Casino Pier just to watch her laugh as she spun around on the carousel in a snowstorm in mid December, or needing to take Route 9 home from Atlantic City after a failed day at the casinos, George always did what he needed to ensure happiness in those around him. After buying a house on “Good Luck Drive”, George knew that eventually he wanted to spend the rest of his life with his wife and daughter down the shore. George will be remembered by hundreds of souls who he touched throughout his life. Aside from being a wonderful and devout husband and the world's best dad who was “simply the best”, George was a human being who truly was one in a million. He was a selfless, caring, and inspirational man whose legacy will continue to live on in his children, Wende Hurtuk, Kristen Hurtuk, and George Hurtuk Jr. and his grandchildren. George will forever be loved and missed by his family and anyone who was blessed enough to know him at any point throughout his life. He leaves behind a legacy worth remembering, and his stories will be forever shared and memorialized for centuries to come.