Georges Andre Mermod

Georges Mermod

Georges Andre Mermod (1928-2016), a retired Swiss horological engineer, US Army veteran, international businessman and import-export specialist, passed away after a brief illness on August 20, 2016 near his home of York, South Carolina where he and his beloved and devoted wife Peggy have lived for more than 25 years.
Georges was born in Fleurier, Switzerland to parents Professor John and Alice (Blanc) Mermod, both internationally travelled educators. His father's family were descendants of the Ducs of Savoy and the French royal houses of Burgundy and Provence, and his mother's lineage includes most of the 18th-20th century Swiss watchmaking dynastic families.
As a young man he attended an international school in Bournemouth, England and thereafter returned home to Neuchatel to earn a diploma from the world-class watchmaking institute Technium in La Chaud-de-Fonds which resulted in his being offered his first job in 1952 with the new US Benrus Watch Company in New York City.
Within the following year Georges and was drafted into the US Army during the Korean Conflict. He was sent to Fort Dix for training in the modified post WW2 M4 Sherman armoured tank division, and after suffering smoke inhalation and burns was honorably discharged, returning to Benrus.
Georges and his wife Peggy of more than 30 years enjoyed a new-found life as a gentleman farmer on 'Hay Fever Farm" in South Carolina.
He is survived by daughters Lisette Mermod-Cox of London, England and Ariane Mermod-Schreiner of Westport, CT and son USN CWO3 (retired) Denis Mermod of San Diego, CA plus 4 grandchildren and their spouses and 4 great grand children: granddaughters, Dr Natalie Lazarovits-Zamani of Miami and Candace Lazarovits RN NP of New York City, and grandsons, Denis Robert Mermod and Daniel Mermod; great-grandchildren, Lillian and Drake Mermod in Maryland, Guinevere Mermod in Ohio and Luc Zamani of Miami. He is also survived by his sister Mme Sophie Julia Perrenoud in Switzerland.
The family will be receiving visitors on Monday, August 22nd from 3pm to 7pm at Hay Fever Farm, 2555 Black Highway in York, SC.
A Celebration of his life will be held Sunday, August 28th from 4pm to 7pm at Hay Fever Farm, 2555 Black Highway in York, SC.