Final Salute

George W. Lichoff has left the building and, knowing George, he probably had a few choice words about the way things were being run on his way out. He was born in Willard, Ohio on 09/14/1946 and decided that he didn’t want a surprise party for his upcoming 80th birthday so, he passed away peacefully on September 5th, 2026. He fought his failing health over the years on his own terms. There are some people who spend their lives worrying about what others think, and then there was him. He didn’t much care what anyone thought and would let you know his opinion whether it was asked or not.

George was truly one of a kind, which is probably for the best because the world may not have been equipped to handle two of him. He lived life exactly the way he wanted to, said exactly what he thought, and possessed absolutely no concern whatsoever about whether you agreed with him. If you did, great. If you didn’t…well, George would have been happy to explain, probably in colorful detail, why you were wrong. He was stubborn, ornery, opinionated, funny as hell, and completely incapable of pretending to be something he wasn’t. He didn’t sugarcoat things, bite his tongue, or suffer fools particularly well. A filter may have been issued at birth, but if so, he misplaced it decades ago and never bothered looking for it. George could make you laugh, make you mad, and have you shaking your head. He wasn’t everyone’s cup of tea and frankly, he didn’t give a damn. He wasn’t put on this earth to win a popularity contest. He was here to be George.

And he was exceptionally good at it. There will never be another man quite like him. Some of you are probably relieved. The rest of us are going to miss him like hell.

George had few things that he loved. His daughter, Linda, was his number one. Their bond was quite special. Even when arguing, they always ended each call or chat with, “Love you, bye.” He loved channel 8 News. And when his antenna was on the fritz we all had to hear about how he couldn’t watch it. As if no other news would do. He kept the lights on at Pabst Brewing Company and it was rumored that he may or may not had some involvement in the recent PBR truck heist.

George is survived by his daughter, Linda Lichoff (Cleveland), and his brother John Lichoff (Norwalk). He had a great bond with his nephew, Mike Lichoff. He had a core group of buddies that he put on the highest platform; Mike Albright, Karl Bame, Craig Solomon, and Carl Duncan. The list is long of other impactful friends he had. He is also survived by numerous nieces and nephews that are spread out across the country. He was preceded in death by his parents, Demen Lichoff and Nancy (Nenoff) Lichoff, sister Nancy Lichoff, brother Jim Lichoff and brother Don Lichoff.

He was so very proud to have served his country as a Seabee with the U.S. Navy from 1965-1967. He served during Vietnam and is a Bronze Star recipient three times over. He retired from The Ohio State Highway Patrol. He was the guy who inspected school busses, set up roadside inspections, and occasionally ruined someone’s day. He dedicated countless years to making the Willard Memorial Day Parade special. He found himself as the Grand Marshal of the 2025 holiday parade and was humbled at such distinction. A lifetime member of the Amvets, Legion, Eagles, and VFW. A hat tip to the Shelby Owls Club is in order as well.

Visitation Thursday, September 10, 2026 at 3:00 – 7:00 Secor Funeral Home, 202 W. Maple St., Willard, OH 44890 where funeral services will be held Friday, September 11, 2026, 11:00 AM. Internment at Greenwood Cemetary, 2781 N Conwell Ave., Willard, OH 44890. A celebration of life will be held directly after services at the Willard VFW Post 3430, 19 Woodland Ave., Willard, OH 44890.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Willard VFW Post 3430, 19 Woodland Ave., Willard, OH 44890 or the Bucyrus Amvets Post 27, 235 E Galen St., Bucyrus, OH 44820.

Secor Funeral Home has been entrusted with the arrangements.
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