Yorghi “George” Turkmany

Yorghi “George” Turkmany, 68 of Wayne, died on Friday, September 2, 2022. He has lived in Wayne since 2000.

George was born in Aleppo, Syria and emigrated to America with his family when he was just seven years old. He was one of eight children in his family, and they settled in Paterson. When he was nineteen, he met Siham Attieh who had been visiting from Beirut, Lebanon. They were married just two months later, on October 15, 1977, at St. Ann Melkite Catholic Church in West Paterson, followed by a honeymoon to Seaside, NJ. They settled in Paterson, and then moved to West Palm Beach, Florida for about fifteen years, before moving back to New Jersey in 2000. They’ve enjoyed forty-five years together, raised six children, and welcomed ten grandchildren into the world.

George was very talented and could fix just about anything. As a young man, he learned to wallpaper and became an auto mechanic. He went on to have his own gas station and repair shop for many years. He always worked hard to keep himself in shape, working out, running on the treadmill, and exercising. He had a boat while living in Florida and he loved to go fishing. He especially enjoyed taking his kids to Disney World when they lived in Florida, and they would go every few months. George liked riding in the front seat on the rollercoasters, and his kids have so many great memories of those fun times! George was a fun and loving grandfather to his ten grandchildren. He spent as much time with them as he could, and they all know how much he truly loved each of them. They will all miss him dearly.

George is survived by his dear wife Siham of Wayne, five children: Elias Turkmany and his wife Victoria of Hackettstown, Bertha Qassar of Wayne, Loris Turkmany of Wayne, Touma Turkmany of Wayne, and Nadima Turkmany of Wayne, ten grandchildren, his siblings, and many nieces and nephews. Sadly, George was predeceased by his son, Yorghi, Jr., in 2020.