George Hickman Jr.

George Hickman, Jr. was born August 20, 1933, to George Hickman and Pearl Cropper in Pride, Louisiana. He was the eleventh of twelve children, including four girls and eight boys. George attended Eastern Star School in Zachary, Louisiana and was baptized at Antioch Baptist Church, also located in Zachary. George enlisted in the United States Air Force in 1951 and began a successful, rewarding  22 year career.

                On January 1, 1955, George married Helen Rose Sanderford of Baton Rouge, Louisiana. They were blessed with five children, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, Donald R. Hickman, Roderick Q. Hickman, Georgette Muhammad and Annette F. Hickman.

                George continued his career in the military and traveled with and without his family throughout the United States, and to Greenland, Korea, England, Vietnam and Guam. He was a distinguished serviceman, being awarded a Bronze Star and National Defense Service Award and was named Non-Commissioned Officer of the Year. He was a First Sergeant and retired in 1973 with the rank of Senior Master Sergeant, settling in Riverside, California.

                George's work endeavors did not stop after his retirement from the Air Force. He embarked on another successful career with the State of California, Department of Corrections, as an administrator and educator, and subsequently retired a second in time in 1987.

                The retirement from the Department of Corrections allowed George to pursue his true passion and life vision--farming. He started a non-chemical farm and became renowned for his turkeys, pigs, pumpkins, purple-hulled black-eyed peas, greens, okra and other assorted vegetables and fruits. George continued to farm and oversee his farming operations until his passing.

                George Hickman, Jr. passed away peacefully on July 29, 2020 at 2:10pm in Fontana, California. He leaves behind his cherished wife of sixty-five years, Helen R. Hickman of Bloomington, California; children, Linda Thomas-Greenfield (Lafayette Greenfield) of Arlington, VA, Donald R. Hickman (Annie Faye Howell) of Riverside, CA, Roderick Q. Hickman ( Gloria Colden-Hickman) of Sacramento, CA, Georgette Muhammad of Santa Monica, CA and Annette F. Hickman of Bloomington, CA; four grandchildren: Lindsay Greenfield of La Paz, Bolivia, Lafayette Greenfield II (Aida Kebera) of Alexandria, VA, Roderick J. Hickman of Sacramento/Bloomington, CA, Niara S. Chess of Bloomington, CA; two great-grandchildren, Lydia and Luca Greenfield of Alexandria, VA

                George Hickman, Jr. will be remembered by a host of relatives and friends from California to Louisiana, Virginia, Michigan, Hawaii and Bolivia. He will be especially missed by his close and cherished Pinochle Club family.

                George lived his life as a giving, generous and kind man, and he will be missed by everyone who had an opportunity for him to be a part of their lives.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of George Hickman Jr., please visit our floral store.