George M. Coleman

George M. Coleman was born in Leonia on March 15, 1919. He attended Leonia High School and worked for local businesses prior to his enlistment in the United States Army during World War II. He was a Staff Sergeant in the Army's 526th Port Battalion, an all black unit that served in Okinawa and the Philippines. The armed services were not integrated until the end of the war under the direction of President Harry Truman. After his honorable discharge from the Army he worked as an engraver at the Bendix Corp. for thirty three years and was one of the company's first black employees. George and Harriette Howard were married in 1938. They lived on Spring Street where they raised their children, all of whom graduated from Leonia High School. George was an active member of the Presbyterian Church in  Englewood, NJ, where he regularly attended church services. He possessed a remarkable alto voice and graciously contributed his talent by performing solos at many weddings and funerals. He was also a member of the American Legion, the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) in Leonia, and he was a Freemason.