George M. Christodal

George M. Christodal, Jr., 80, of Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, entered into eternal rest on Wednesday, November 20, 2024. George's zest for life, intrinsic optimism, and strong devotion to his family were evident to all who knew him, and he will be dearly, dearly missed.

Born on April 19, 1944, in Central Falls, Rhode Island, as the third and middle child of George and Parrie (Christopolis) Christodal, George was highly driven and worked from an early age, including as the elevator operator for the Biltmore hotel in Downtown Providence and a “stick boy” for the Rhode Island Reds hockey team. He attended Hope High School in Providence and was an outstanding hockey player, often taking the ice with his younger brother, Billy. George joined the U.S. Army in 1962 while still only 17 and was stationed in Germany. During that time and the year that followed, his mind and heart were opened to a much larger world. While serving three years in Germany with the Eighth Division Airborne as a paratrooper, George learned to play the guitar, earned his GED, studied philosophy and began reading poetry and great works of literature, including Don Quixote and Robert Frost. He was honorably discharged at age 20 and chose to remain in Europe where he spent more than a year traveling and soaking up cultures he had only imagined as a boy. From Germany to Spain to Greece and back again, he made a living by playing guitar and singing folk songs in local clubs, just as American folk music was taking over the world. He skied the Zugspitze, ran the bulls in Pomplona, performed in Athens and lived for a time on an ancestral Greek island. George lived a thousand stories he never tired of sharing and developed what he called his “Weltanschauung.” It was the most formative time of his life.

Upon his return to the U.S., George made his way to Boston and became a sales champion at several companies, sometimes simultaneously, and was married in 1966. After starting his own family the following year, he moved west and attended college at Central Washington State in 1969, earning his BA in May of 1971 after exactly two years and four months, and forever after reminding his children of this fact. Moving back to Boston, George did land acquisition and development for a nursing home group until going out on his own as a real estate developer. From 1974 until 1991, he built and developed nearly one thousand single family homes and apartment units in Massachusetts and Rhode Island, owning and operating scores of apartments across that time. After the 1987 crash and real estate recession, George relocated to Charleston where he would make new lifelong friends and build another legacy of 700 housing units, including hundreds of single-family homes.

George had a passion for music and was a marvelous performer of songs and teller of stories who loved regaling his family and friends with humor, wisdom, and song. He was a loving father, a tremendous hugger, and a loyal friend. His devotion to his family was at the heart of everything he did.

George was singularly generous throughout his life, sharing his uplifting spirit and boundless energy while financially helping not only those close to him, but strangers and most anyone he considered to be down on their luck. George was a man of faith. He helped to build important church facilities in downtown Charleston, worked with youth groups, and did charitable missions to Haiti and elsewhere.

George is survived by four children: Michael Jude Christodal (Emmy) of San Clemente, CA, George Christodal III (Ingrid) of Singapore, Noah Christodal (Lan Anh) of Mount Pleasant, SC, and Katherine Christodal of Mount Pleasant, SC. He also leaves behind cherished grandchildren, including Romeo, Obediah, Tobin, and Tristan. His siblings, Rena Lee of Rhode Island, William Christodal of Virginia, and Millie Grieve (David) of Rhode Island, whom he loved more than words can express, mourn the loss of the one they simply called “Brother.” His many beloved nieces and nephews will hold memories of Uncle George dearly in their hearts. He was preceded in death by his brother, Thomas Christodal.

George's Funeral Service will be held on Sunday, December 8, 2024, in the J. Henry Stuhr Inc., Mount Pleasant Chapel, located at 1494 Mathis Ferry Road at 2:00 pm. The family will receive friends an hour before the service at 1:00 pm in the same location. Interment will follow in Beaufort National Cemetery at a later date.