George Bogdanovich, 93, of Mansfield, Connecticut, beloved husband of Donna Mae (Phaneuf) Bogdanovich for over 68 years passed away on Thursday, January 29th, 2026. He was born on July 5th, 1932, on his family’s farm in Tolland CT, to the late Frank Bogdanovich and Olga (Mielnikowski) Bogdanovich.

In addition to his wife, George is survived by his daughter Janice Olga (Bogdanovich) Wehner and her husband Russell Wehner Jr. and their children Evangeline and Anastasia of Mansfield, Connecticut. He is also survived by a sister, Helen Pyko, and a brother Frank Bogdanovich and his wife Sandra of Chicopee, Massachusetts, and many nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his son John Jay Bogdanovich and seven siblings, Michael, Phillip, Henry, William, Katherine Cyran, Rose Barnard, and Elizabeth Chandler.

In 1932, during the Great Depression, his parents sold their 89 acre farm in Tolland and their family relocated to Willimansett, a suburb of Chicopee, Massachusetts. George spent his youth in Willimansett and graduated from Chicopee High School in 1951 where he played on the baseball, football, and basketball varsity teams. In 1950, Massachusetts newspapers, The Holyoke Transcript Telegram and the Springfield Republican, named George to their all western Mass football team at the left end position. Holyoke High School, the 1950 undrafted western mass division A football champions, also named George to their all opponent team at left end. In 2011 he was inducted into Chicopee Public Schools Athletic Hall of Fame.

During the Korean War he was drafted into the Army in December 1952 and was honorably discharged in February 1955. For his service the army awarded him with the Korean Service Medal, the United Nations Service Medal, the National Defense Medal, and the Good Conduct Medal. The South Korean government, in expressing their gratitude for his service, awarded him with the Ambassador for Peace Medal. For his Army Service he received the Connecticut Veterans Wartime Service Medal from the state of Connecticut Department of Veteran Affairs. He was a lifetime member of the Disabled American Veteran’s Association.

He was employed by Pratt & Whitney Aircraft in the International Group of Product Support/Commercial Parts Department for 37 years. At the beginning of his employment, he was assigned to servicing airlines in Europe and Africa and for the last 23 years he was assigned to servicing airlines in Asia. When the Soviet Union broke up, the Russian Airline Aeroflot and Ukrainian Airlines were added to his assignments. He enjoyed his work and would always say that the most interesting part of his job was meeting and working with the employees of the various international airlines he visited.

During his recent years, George enjoyed spending time with his granddaughters. When they were younger, he enjoyed taking them swimming. As they grew older, he loved attending their concerts, plays, basketball games and horse shows. He often time drove them to and from the bus stop.

George was always working around the yard, tending to his beautiful rose bushes and vegetable plants. Despite his physical limitations of the last few years of his life, he never gave up on his love of being outdoors.

George had a love of horses that began when Janice’s first horse Foxtrot and continued in later years with Nakita (Foxtrot’s foal) who he cared for 28 years.

During life George was a private person but took tremendous pride in providing for his family.

Services will be held in the spring and in lieu of flowers George asked that donations be made to the Disabled Veterans, Unknown Soldier Chapter 12 PO Box 280281, East Hartford Connecticut, 06128, for the Transportation Program and the purchase of vans.