A light is gone from our lives and will now shine brightly among the stars. On Saturday, July 4, 2015 George took his final hike on a trail he loved in Palm Desert, Calif. George was born in New Rochelle, N.Y. on November 23, 1953. After a long career in Westchester, N.Y. as an Ultrasonographer, he moved to the California desert eleven years ago to continue his profession at Eisenhower Imaging Center in Rancho Mirage, Calif. He majored in Philosophy at Iona College, but chose to enter the medical field as his father had. He had just retired five months to the day before his passing. He was excited to now have time to fulfill his passion of hiking, painting, music, collecting tattoos and spending time with his wife. George married his one and only love, soulmate and best friend Jane on April 1, 1978. From that day forward, you never saw one without the other. Theirs was truly a never-ending love affair. George was a top distance runner in the New York area for many years and loved to push himself to extremes. The 1980 NYC Marathon was his best with a finishing time of 2:36. George never did anything without putting his entire heart and soul into it. Work, play, family or friends he always gave it his all. He was known for his caring and giving spirit. He became an artist later in life and had painted well over one thousand paintings; usually giving them to those who were the inspiration of the artwork. Many friends and family have at least one "Basanda" original in their home. He was truly one of a kind and all who knew him have a George story that would keep you laughing for many minutes. He has touched the lives of so many in more ways than he could have imagined. His spirit has now gone beyond the horizon to reunite with his parents and his beloved sister CarolJean. May he rest in peace knowing that he is well loved. He will live on in the hearts and memory of all who knew him. He will be sorely missed. Jane would like to thank the hikers who came upon him in his time of need, all the firefighters, police and EMT's for their efforts to save him and for spending hours in extreme conditions until George was brought down from the trail. He is survived by his loving wife of 37 years, Jane of Palm Desert; brother, Michael of New York, N.Y.; sister-in-law, Ellen Solomon of Long Island, N.Y.; brother-in-law, Frank Santianna of Las Vegas, Nev.; nieces; nephews; and many friends on both coasts. Memorial services will be held here in the desert and in New York at a later date. "…And ever has it been that love knows not its own depth until the hour of separation". Kahlil Gibran
