JACKSONVILLE, Fla — George H. Dorion, a chemist by trade at the Bacardi spirits company founded by his great-grandfather and a philanthropist who supported a myriad of causes and helped found the River Run, died Wednesday at his Jacksonville home two days before his 92nd birthday.
He had prostate cancer that had metastasized, according to his wife of 63 years, Dorothy "Dottie" Dorion, a former hospice nurse. Despite his illness, he had been up and around until a week or so before his death.
"He was holding onto my arm, looked me in the eye, gave me a little smile and he was gone," she said. "We had wonderful times. … I couldn't have picked a better mate."
Dorion proudly noted that her husband, through his research in the Air Force and later at Bacardi Limited, was a positive force on the environment.
He joined the family-owned company in 1969 and worked as a chemist at the company's Puerto Rico and Jacksonville locations, retiring in 1995. He held eight patents, published three books, presented at least 23 professional bulletins and reports and was an "internationally respected research leader," according to his obituary.
"For more than 25 years he dedicated himself to evolving the business by helping us lead the way in environmental responsibility and supporting development of new products that appealed to the trends of the moment," said Facundo L. Bacardi, chairman of Bacardi Limited. "His positive outlook, entrepreneurial spirit and never-ending pursuit of the betterment of the business and society will forever be an inspiration to those who had the privilege of knowing him."
Education, work, meeting Dottie
Mr. Dorion was born in New York City in 1929 to William Jules Dorion and Adelaida Bacardi Dorion. He received a master's degree in chemistry from Williams College in Williamstown, Mass, in 1951 and joined the Air Force in 1953, working through 1955 at the Aeronautical Research Lab at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio, where he served as senior research chemist. He later received a doctorate in chemistry from Yale University.
After working for Bacardi in Puerto Rico, he moved to Jacksonville, where he helped establish a research and development lab for testing new products and flavors. In 2017 the local site was renamed the George and Dottie Dorion Product Development Center in honor of their 60th wedding anniversary.
Mr. Dorion met the former Dorothy Simpson in 1956 when he was working on his doctorate at Yale and she was a student at Columbia University-Presbyterian Hospital School of Nursing. They married in 1957, his laid-back tendencies merging with what friends called her boundless energy, according to a 2000 Times-Union profile.
In a 2015 profile after she broke the indoor rowing record for her age group, Dottie Dorion said marriage is "easy when you have the right guy."
She said Friday that she was initially a bit put off by his high intelligence. "He was Phi Beta Kappa his senior year. That's unheard of. I thought I don't want to date him," she said.
But his humor won her over.
"He was very, very funny, great sense of humor," she said. Even in a situation that did not lend itself to positivity, "kind of unexpectedly, he was always able to find something bright about it," she said.
Mr. Dorion was a "wonderful family man, always reaching out to people" and was a peacemaker of sorts, even during discussions with government officials of differing opinions.
"He had the ability to get along with people … iron things out," she said.
Passions, nonprofits, River Run
The couple's shared passions included fitness: She was a triathlete, he was a former long-distance runner and in 1978, as members of the Jacksonville Track Club, they helped organize the first River Run.
In the 2015 Times-Union story, Mr. Dorion said, "The first year we didn’t think anyone would come, so we had a party at our house and invited the runners and key volunteer people."
They put up a tent in the back of the house with food and music for what turned out to be 1,000 or so runners. "It became a really big draw," he said.
Another shared passion was philanthropy. They supported a host of nonprofits, including two that Dottie Dorion co-founded — Volunteers in Medicine Jacksonville and Community Hospice and Palliative Care. The White Oak Conservation Center in Yulee and the University of North Florida also were Dorion benefactors.
"George Dorion was a strong supporter of Volunteers in Medicine long before the doors opened," said Volunteers in Medicine CEO Jennifer Ryan. "He was one of Dottie’s biggest supporters and believed in the mission. Through his love for the working uninsured, he would share a laugh with our volunteers, he encouraged participation from the Bacardi Corporation and he would light up a room any time he was around. He will truly be missed and he has left quite a legacy in this community."
Helen Morse, one of the nonprofit's past board chairwomen, said, "He was always very supportive. He expected us to run VIM as a well-run business, which I always appreciated. He was a very bright man."
Also, in 2017 the couple established a fund at The Community Foundation of Northeast Florida to provide college or vocational scholarships for students whose parents or guardians are employed by Bacardi in Jacksonville, according to the foundation.
"Mr. and Mrs. Dorion set up the scholarship because they called Jacksonville home and felt strongly that employees at Bacardi Jacksonville were part of the Bacardi family and therefore, its legacy,” said Joanne Cohen, vice president, philanthropic services at the foundation. "George Dorion was so proud of this scholarship fund and the opportunities it opened for Bacardi employees and their families."
Other survivors include sons Mark Dorion, Christopher Dorion, Timothy Dorion and daughter Lisanne Dorion and three grandchildren. A private service was held Friday, to be followed by a private burial Monday.
Memorials may be made to the George and Dottie Dorion Bacardi Scholarship Fund at The Community Foundation of Northeast Florida, 245 Riverside Ave., Suite 310, Jacksonville, FL 32202 or jaxcf.org or Community Hospice and Palliative Care, 4266 Sunbeam Road, Jacksonville, FL 32256 or communityhospice.com.
Beth Reese Cravey: (904) 359-4109.
