May 25--George Tapling had a knack for nurturing, whether it was friends from grade school, the interests the Chicago real estate company where he was chief financial officer, or the yard and parkway of his Chicago home.
"We don't have any grass, we have a perennial garden," his wife, Marguerite Tully, said of the land at the couple's 100-year-old home in the city's North Center neighborhood. "Even the parkway is a perennial garden, as is our front patch."
Tapling was with Jos. Cacciatore Co. for 20 years, according to company President Peter Cacciatore.
"It's so hard to think about George's contributions the last 20 years," Cacciatore said. "He was always willing to take on a challenge at the company, always had a smile. He was one of the best team players."
Tapling, 60, died Friday of metastatic melanoma in his home, his wife said. After raising their children in Elmhurst, the couple moved to Chicago eight or nine years ago. Tully is the executive director of the Chicago-based Illinois Child Care Bureau.
Tapling was born in Chicago and grew up in Oak Park. After graduating from Fenwick High School, he went on to get an undergraduate degree from St. Norbert College in De Pere, Wis. He later got a master's degree from DePaul University in Chicago.
Tapling's first wife died when his children were quite young. He and Tully met after friends and relatives arranged a date.
"The smartest decision I've ever made -- to say 'yes' to a blind date," Tully said. The two celebrated their 20th anniversary earlier this year.
Tapling stayed in touch with friends from grade school including Dr. Mike Martin, an internist in San Francisco. Martin said while Tapling was known for his sense of humor, it was his reaction to the humor of others that really stood out.
"I always enjoyed telling George a joke because he always laughed -- even if the joke was that funny. He wanted it to be a good joke and he wanted you to have told it well," Martin said.
Martin said it was that empathy and concern for others that made Tapling so popular. "That's why George had so many friends," Martin said. "He seemed to make friends and keep friends -- dear friends, not just casual acquaintances -- from every phase of his life. People seemed to stick to him."
He had worked in real estate and finance before joining Cacciatore, where he put his experience in both fields to work.
Cacciatore said Tapling was a board member of the Cacciatore companies and in that role coordinated meeting agendas. "It's been crazy the last couple of months without him," Cacciatore said. "He's going to be sorely missed."
Tapling also is survived by his daughter, Colleen; sons George and Robert; his mother, Mary Tapling; and sisters Mary Manning, Geri Tapling and Jane Sovitch.
Services were held.
Megan is a freelance reporter.
