George Bland, a devoted husband, father, grandfather, veteran, and man of deep faith, passed away on January 5, 2026, in the comfort of his home in Shawnee, Oklahoma. He was born on April 29, 1938, in Garden Grove, California, to Cleo and Annie Bland.

George was preceded in death by his beloved wife of 51 years, Frankie Bland, his son, Anthony Pecore, and his brother, Donald Bland. He is survived by his sister, Dorothea Bland McClendon, along with a large and loving family who meant everything to him.

George graduated from Center View High School in 1956 and later attended Connors State University, where he earned a baseball scholarship. Baseball remained one of his greatest passions throughout his life and influenced his values of teamwork, fairness, and dedication.

He proudly served his country in the United States Army, where he was stationed in Frankfurt, Germany, and was a Vietnam veteran, a chapter of his life he carried with quiet pride.

George and Frankie were reacquainted during a Christmas family gathering in December 1966, a chance meeting that led to a lifelong love. They were married on April 14, 1967, and shared more than five decades of marriage together. Before their marriage, both George and Frankie converted to the Catholic faith. George had begun attending the Catholic Church while stationed in Germany, and his faith continued to deepen throughout his life through study of both the Bible and the Catechism. He believed God placed an abundance of knowledge in the world so people could thrive—not only as Christians, but as Catholics.

George worked for OG&E until his retirement in 1995. He also helped establish Prague's Little League, combining his love for baseball with his desire to give back to his community.

His grandchildren were the light of his life. He rarely missed their sporting events or livestock shows and was well known for wearing the same red-and-white striped button-down shirt to their ballgames—a superstition he carried from his own athletic days. He owned several of those shirts and wore them proudly.

After the loss of his wife, George's health slowly began to decline. The garden he once lovingly cared for began to wither, and eventually he could no longer walk the distance to church—something that was nearly unbearable for him.

George's true calling in life was making people happy. He always wore a smile, loved a good joke, and enjoyed playful ribbing with family and friends. Those who knew him often asked about "George's shenanigans" and were always rewarded with a good story and laughter. He was rarely without the companionship of a beloved cat or dog.

A lifelong Los Angeles Dodgers fan, George admired the team not for their winning record, but because they were the only team willing to sign Jackie Robinson. From a young age, George believed it was wrong to exclude someone from a sport they loved because of the color of their skin. He firmly believed racism had no place in America—or anywhere else.

George is lovingly remembered by his son and daughters-in-law, Robert and Lori Pecore of Conroe, Texas, and Michelle Pecore of Tecumseh, Oklahoma; his daughter, Shannon Sisson of Shawnee, Oklahoma; his grandsons, Chad Pecore and Jared Pecore; his granddaughters, Stacey Bennett, Candance Chisolm, Madison Plunkett, and Karla Snow; and his great-grandchildren, Kolton Yeager, Ryle Bennett, Blazee Bennett, Kai Plunkett, Colin Pecore, Teagan Pecore and Cade Snow along with numerous nieces, nephews, extended family members, and dear friends.

George's legacy of faith, kindness, fairness, humor, and love will live on through all who were blessed to know him.