George P. Kalas Sr., 83, a founder with his wife of the George P. Kalas funeral homes in Oxon Hill and Edgewater, died March
20 at Fort Washington Hospital. He had prostate cancer.
Mr. Kalas, a Fort Washington resident, married into the family that owned the Robert A. Mattingly funeral home in Washington.
After doing sales work for Sunbeam bread, Mr. Kalas graduated in 1958 from Eckels College of Mortuary Science in
Philadelphia and then joined the Mattingly business
In 1973, he opened its Oxon Hill branch and soon changed the name to his own. The Edgewater branch opened in 1997. He
had an active role in operations until recent years, and his two sons are now the owners.
He was born George Peter Kalavitinos in Washington and legally changed his name when he married. He attended Eastern
High School and Benjamin Franklin University.
During World War II, he served in the Army Air Forces in England and was a crewman on B-24 bombers. His decorations
included the Distinguished Flying Cross and four awards of the Air Medal.
He was a member of St. Columba Catholic Church in Oxon Hill and Disabled American Veterans. In 1981, he received an award
from the Home Plate Club of Washington for his sponsorship of youth baseball teams.
His wife of 56 years, Jean Mattingly Kalas, died in 2000.
Survivors include three children, Kathy Thibadeau of Dunwoody, Ga., and George P. Kalas Jr. and Robert P. Kalas, both of
Annapolis; 11 grandchildren; and eight great-grandchildren.
2006