George Lee Herpel, beloved son, brother, uncle and brother-like friend to many, died on Oct. 31, 2024, at Boston's Massachusetts General Hospital after a brief illness. He was 42.
George was born in Claremont on Jan. 17, 1982, the second child to doctors Stella and John Herpel. His birth was heralded, within a matter of hours, by an earthquake that measured 4.0, rare for that area, sending a wild and unexpected jolt into central New Hampshire.
George was raised at Frogwood, the Herpel family's homestead in rural Acworth, a restored 1789 house set on a large, natural, wooded landscape with a barn and pond, ideal for a young outdoor explorer. The property would define home for him for the rest of his life. From his parents and small-town community, George learned New England practicality, a deep appreciation for nature, the enduring value of well-made things, of fixing, restoring, collecting and preserving, love of friendship, freedom, being active, music, literature, the arts and an intellectual, almost eccentric curiosity about the challenges and pleasures of the world around him.
The Acworth generation that included George and his sister June, born 18 months earlier, saw a coincidental predominance of boys. The pack of small-town kids considered themselves brothers and sisters, and roamed their village and surrounding countryside rain, snow or shine -- swimming, tree-climbing, fort building, taking risks, getting into mischief and having fun. An avid soccer player and skier among other sports, George loved to partake, and as he grew older also coached younger kids officially and unofficially; he was especially patient and kind with kids throughout his life, probably because he loved being one himself. His billiards skills became the stuff of legend, thanks in part to the family's famed pool table in Frogwood's barn.
After graduating from Fall Mountain High School in 2000, George started Middlebury College in early 2001. There he joined Middlebury's oldest a cappella singing group, the all-male Dissipated Eight (known as the D8) where he sang tenor. His performance of the song "In The Meantime" was featured on "Top Shelf A Cappella," the first recorded compilation from the national Collegiate A Cappella Music Organization (CAMO). Most importantly, with D8 members and most others he met at Middlebury, George developed yet another band of lifelong friends.
In 2006, for many reasons, George made the choice to travel to finish his schooling in New Zealand. He graduated that July with a B.A. in English. From there he vagabonded to Idaho, Jackson Hole, W.Y., Flagstaff, Ariz., Newport, Ore. and finally Los Angeles, Calif. where he settled in 2011 with his black lab-English setter mix and soul dog, Kiwi. There he met his future wife Kate Currier, and also found his niche -- restoring vintage keyboards, an art that combined his love for music of all kinds, in particular classic rock, with his respect for craftsmanship. He and friend Luke Jones opened their North Hollywood-based shop Custom Vintage Keyboards in 2012, a funky, high-end service and restoration go-to for musicians across the industry.
In the fall of 2013, George was involved in a motorcycle accident in Los Angeles that resulted in the loss of his left leg below the knee. Though he recovered physically and became adept with a prosthetic, the tragedy took an emotional toll.
After three years of healing and care, George and Kate were married at Frogwood in New Hampshire. The couple eventually made their home in Laurel Canyon, Calif., surrounded by the former homes of rock stars from the 1960s and '70s. (They divorced in September of 2024.) At the outdoor ceremony, George's wedding party formed a long, long line, one of the largest groomsmen gatherings most attendants had ever seen.
To all his friends, George was devoted, fearless, generous, a true brother, willing to go any length to meet a need and cut through surface pleasantries to get to what mattered. He had a contagious pirate smile and "crazy, cackle of a laugh," according to one friend. When asked to describe himself once in a written exercise, George decided on, "shop owner, vintage vehicle lover, carpenter, music lover, thrifter/antiquer, vintage instrument lover, tool collector, nature lover, dog lover," and, interestingly, "mind reader." He certainly had a knack for connecting on an intense level.
His magnetic individuality, wild, spirited recklessness and endless enthusiasm for adventure, or "nature mischief" as one friend put it, were tempered with an old-fashioned, almost poetic appreciation of good design, of detail, of good food -- including lobster, his favorite -- and drink.
He welcomed the wonder of everything, from the pure, childhood delight of an oversized yellow rain slicker under warm New Hampshire summer rain, to the tiny, perfect, doll-sized saltshaker he carried with his lunch throughout childhood and high school. According to a friend who knew him then, "He was as much a kid of the warm comfort of these routines as he was one of unpredictable risk taking." It was a pendulum that swung throughout his life until it ended too soon.
George is survived by his parents, Dr. John Kling Herpel and Dr. Stella Jones Herpel; his sister June Adjii and spouse Sam Smith; former spouse Kate Currier; nephew Leo Della Penna, uncles, aunts and many cousins.
There will be two memorial gatherings, one in Acworth and one in the Los Angeles area, in mid 2025, dates to be determined. In lieu of flowers, donations can please be made to rescue dog nonprofit Sunny Paws Rescue at https://www.sunnypawsrescue.org.