Humanitarian George Overby died July 19 in Tempe at the age of 83. One of the towering greats of University Presbyterian Church, the retired civil engineer lent his considerable skills to many works, especially Habitat for Humanity. In March 1997, I had the honor to introduce both George and his late wife Bobbie as recipients for the citys most coveted award, the 14th Annual Don Carlos Humanitarian Award, sponsored by the Tempe Community Council and presented by then-Mayor Neil Giuliano.I had served with George in a number of roles at the church, including singing beside him in the tenor section of choir, serving with him and Bobbie on the worship committee and helping them on work projects around the campus. Church members since 1969, they got the congregation engaged in Meals on Wheels. Their passion was the homeless. In 1986, they became Habitat for Humanity volunteers, joining the Valley Habitats board of director and then going on to be founding members of its East Valley Habitat chapter. At the time of their Don Carlos honor nine years ago, they had already worked on 50 Habitat homes. In 1988, they labored on seven Habitat houses in South Africa. In 1992, they joined Jimmy and Rosalyn Carter in the Miracle of the Border Habitat effort in which 2,500 volunteers put up 107 new houses in one week in Tijuana, Mexico.

From the raw resources of the earth, the Overbys have made houses, but more importantly have made homes, I noted in that talk at the Arizona Historical Society museum where two years before I received the Don Carlos honor. In dozen of houses in the Valley tonight, the lights are on and families are at home, sheltered from the night, safe and secure because of the overwhelming Overbys. I had asked George why such dedication to Habitat. I enjoy it. I would read the paper and hear about the insurmountable problems and wondered what could I do about it? he said. Thats when we got into Habitat. He said that homelessness can be battled by building one house at a time giving a new life to one family at a time.

The Overbys took Peter Seegers words to heart, I noted, taking a little lyrical liberty. They have hammers, and they hammer in the morning, they hammer in the evening, all over this land. Bobbie and George led the effort in building Mesas fourth Habitat house and had agreed to lead the fifth and sixth house projects. You know them, just give them a house, go away and come back five months later, and youve got this house, I said to the audience, passing on the words of Steve Tyre, past president of the East Valley Habitat for Humanity. They would work four days a week on houses, and coordinated volunteers, purchased materials and contracted for specialized work like architecture and plumbing.

Bobbie told me that Habitat was something that she and George could always do together. They both wielded hammers, installed plumbing, shingled roofs, built framing, laid tile and took coffee breaks. Together they were honored as University Presbyterians Man and Woman of the Year in 1993. Our church campus has George and Bobbie Overbys imprints all over it. They selflessly performed so many jobs around the church, always in a partnership. During Holy Week, for example, the were always there at 6:30 a.m. to set up for a morning prayer service and had a light breakfast ready for afterwards.

George, a native of North Dakota was a highway engineer for the Bureau of Indian Affairs, retiring in 1979. For most of that time, he oversaw the construction of bridges and roads on Indian reservations in four states, including California and Arizona. He was a World War II U.S. Navy aviator. George was never without a tape measure in his pocket. Two of the inseparable friends of the Overbys for 40 years were Barbara and Carl Smith, who have also been very active in the church, as well. The Overbys never think about themselves always doing something for somebody else, Carl had told me. He said that whenever someone came up with an idea for a project, George grinned and confidently said, Oh, we can do that.

When I was the Tribunes daily Town Crier columnist in the mid-1990s, I wrote a column just after the Overbys learned of the Don Carlos honor. George told me, I dont like to be patted on the back too much. I am very appreciative, but very humble. After all the blessings that Ive had, I dont think I should be rewarded.

We let George do it. And what a job he did each time.

Services for George Overby will be 7 p.m. Wednesday (July 26) at University Presbyterian Church, 139 E. Alameda Drive, Tempe.

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