George Frederick Lamont
SARANAC LAKE – George Frederick Lamont, 83, passed away unexpectedly in Saranac Lake, New York, on March 13, 2020. George is survived by his daughter, Rebecca (Gary Greer) Lamont and son, Steven George Lamont, as well as his siblings: Marjorie Murdock (Connecticut), Roger (Ingrid) LaMont, and Marcia Charlton (Colorado). He is predeceased by his wife Ursula (Jezowski), and is survived by her three sons: Jezy, Tom, and Steven and their families.
George was born November 3, 1936 in Ithaca, New York to Thomas E. and Mary LaMont . The family returned to the family farm two years later.
After graduating Albion High School in 1953 George went on to attend Cornell University, majoring in Agricultural Economics. He was the first Cornell student to attend an Exchange year at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences in Uppsala and graduated from Cornell in 1957.
George joined the family farm, buying out his grandfather and farming with his father, Tom. They were later joined by George’s brother Roger and the farm grew to 3000 acres as they expanded fruit and vegetable production.
A founding member of Lake Ontario Fruit, a local packing and storage venture, George also played a pivotal role in developing the Premier Apple Co-op, a creative marketing organization for apple growers east of the Mississippi River. He served as president of both the Western New York Apple Growers Association and the US Apple Association. George was Executive Director of the New York Horticultural Society for 10 years.
His innovation in the apple industry garnered George community recognition, including: Apple Grower of the Year in 1997 by the American Fruit Grower Magazine, and the Cornell Agriculture and Life Sciences Outstanding Alumni Award in 2006.
George moved to Saranac Lake for his “retirement.” Actively involved in several churches, he also played bridge, rejoined Rotary, and enthusiastically hiked, skied, and kayaked.
A Memorial Service will be held for George on Saturday, August 6, 2022 at 1:30pm at Gaines Carlton Community Church, 14585 Ridge Road, Albion. A reception will follow at the church. In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to Cornell’s Agriculture School in George’s memory.
