George Morgan Durham, 84, of Mont Vernon, NH, passed away in his sleep at home on March 6, 2025. He is survived by his loving wife, Kim Kelly, and their daughters AnLi, Min Lu, and Shay Lin; daughter Tracy; son Steve; and his large Minnesota Kelly family.

George was an only child born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on March 17, 1940, to his mother, Guenevere George, and father, Norris Durham. George was proud of his Indigenous Nanticoke heritage but also claimed honorary Irish status, having been born on St. Patrick’s Day.

George and his first wife, Martha, traveled the world and introduced their children, Steven and Tracy, to travel, museums, aquariums, sailing, and skiing. Tracy inherited the horse gene and insisted on ponies of her own. George custom built a horse box on a pickup truck to transport the ponies to parades, fairs and horse shows. George's pulley system allowed teenaged Tracy to lift the heavy ramp herself, making her the envy of all her friends.

George married Kim Kelly on August 31, 1984, and they spent their first 11 years living in Middlesex, Vermont, before moving to their home of 32 years in Mont Vernon, NH. Their oldest daughter, AnLi, arrived in October 1994, their middle child, Min Lu, in August 1996, and their youngest, Shay Lin, in March of 2000.

George was passionate about his work and was a well-known and respected professional in the field of applied behavior analysis, autism, and intellectual and developmental disabilities. He used this dedication and skill in many ways throughout his career, including as a college professor, educational and behavioral consultant, and teacher. In the later part of his career, George, Kim, and colleagues started a non-profit agency, where they spent many decades providing residential and day services designed around the individual needs of people with various disabilities. The organization’s ability to serve people with complex and challenging needs was a hallmark of George’s work, and “The Durham Center for Education" was named in his honor. George retired from his long-time position as Vice President of Administration from this organization in 2015.

Perhaps George’s greatest gift was that of a teacher and mentor. His ability to teach behavior analysis and get people excited about working in this field was legendary. He also had an uncanny ability to help people sort through problems. At most any gathering, George could be found sequestered in a corner in a deep conversation, setting the world to right with someone. He often used this same gift to tell long, detailed jokes that people would only learn was a joke when he reached the punchline some 15 minutes later. He was so well known for his ability to suck you into a joke that he was referred to as Bull Durham by Kim’s family.

George was an avid sailor and loved to be on the water and hang around the shipyard. He spent many summers with his family on Lake Champlain, working on and sailing his succession of boats, the Kalesta, the Zaijian, and the Zaijian II, regardless of the weather. From sunny, bright skies to stormy Nor’easters, George and his family would sail. His children all learned to sail at a young age and, while still in elementary school, could all handle a 38-foot sailboat, read a depth sounder, and understand a GPS.

On the boat as well as at home, George was always building. He was often in deep thought, trying to figure something out, and could be found on most Saturdays making countless trips to the hardware store to either purchase or return something. He added many rooms to the once small family home in Mont Vernon, asserting that his goal was to be able to go to Boston without leaving his house. He often claimed that he was getting close.

In his later years, through illness and challenges, George maintained his calm and caring demeanor. He stayed at home with Kim by his side through it all. George was a good guy and will be missed greatly by those who knew him and especially by those who loved him fiercely.

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