George Albin Meshrow

George Albin Meshrow, age 87, passed away April 28, 2026, from causes related to dementia. He was under the care of Brio Hospice and Lily & Syringa Assisted Living.

George was born October 4, 1938, in Kearny, New Jersey, to Vivian Ingeborg Wahlstedt and Ernest George Meshrow. After his sister, Hulda, was born, the family moved to West Hartford, Connecticut, near his maternal grandparents, Albin and Hulda Wahlstedt. George treasured memories of visiting their farm and was proud of his Swedish heritage, especially three generations of women in the Salvation Army.

At 18, George enlisted in the United States Marine Corps and began his service at Parris Island, South Carolina. Over the next three years, he earned his GED and completed college coursework. In addition to his musical duties, George distinguished himself as an excellent marksman.

After leaving the Marines, George explored many paths and was never without a job. He sold shoes and encyclopedias, worked in a supermarket produce department, and traveled widely. He and a friend canoed the lakes of Ely, Minnesota, and briefly attended Asbury College in Wilmore, Kentucky, studying liberal arts. At age 21, he traveled to Palm Springs, CA where he worked at Ginsberg Jewelers before becoming a groundskeeper at Brookside Golf Course in Pasadena. He also worked as a gardener and chauffeur for a woman who owned a racetrack.

In 1967, he used the GI Bill to attend Lassen College in Susanville, CA, graduating in 1969 with an Associate of Arts degree and a certificate in gunsmithing.

For three years, George spent his weekends working with Bill Buchan to build a trimaran in Sierra Madre, California. After completing the boat in 1969, they launched it in San Pedro. George and Bill sailed to Catalina Island and explored the surrounding area, but their plans for a longer voyage eventually changed. In the end, George sold his share of the boat.

In 1970, George and Richard Fox purchased a 25‑foot sloop, lived aboard, and spent their days sailing to the islands around San Pedro. After selling the boat, they traveled from Santa Barbara, California, to Seattle, Washington, and eventually to Kalispell, Montana, where they helped build cabins. George later worked at a boys’ camp in Marion, Montana. He returned east, completed a truck‑driving course in Clarion, Pennsylvania, and drove routes throughout the eastern United States until 1973.

George later moved to Denver, Colorado, and eventually followed his friend Richard to Idaho. He worked on farms in Howe before settling in Idaho Falls, where he joined the maintenance staff at Sacred Heart Hospital.

George began his career with School District 91 as a school bus driver, serving rural routes near Osgood and Arco. Years later, former students would still approach him to share memories of their time on his bus. During his tenure as a bus driver and working on grounds, George wanted to study locksmithing. After completing professional locksmithing courses through the Belsaw Institute, George started his own side business, Budget Lock and Key, operating out of the back of his 1972 Ford Pinto. After many times of having to pick the locks on his bus to retrieve his keys, the school district decided that he would be a good replacement for the retiring district locksmith. George started in 1984 and earned his nickname as ” The Key Man.”

George had a passion for photography and enjoyed road trips with his friend Jim Waller. He loved cross-country skiing, rollerblading, camping, birdwatching and spending time with friends. He was a member of Trinity United Methodist Church, where he participated in the bell choir and Bible study. He also enjoyed playing guitar and listening to his extensive record collection.

While attending a spirituality class, he met his future wife, Hazel Ann Bradley. They were married on August 8, 1998 in a small ceremony with family and friends in the backyard of their home.

George embraced his role as a grandfather to Hazel’s grandsons, Brady, Bryce, and Carson, teaching them to fish, attending events like the Ashton Dog Derby, and sharing many family outings and camping trips.

After retiring in 2003, George completed a Master Gardener course and worked one summer for the City of Idaho Falls at Freeman Park. He also enjoyed daily coffee gatherings with friends at McDonald’s.

George and Hazel enjoyed many road trips, including travels back east and through Oregon and California in their 1956 Shasta trailer. They shared a love of visiting antique stores as well as gardening and enjoyed spending time in their yard and working on their apartment house.

George always knew he had a child and wished he could have been part of her early life. In 2022, his daughter, Joanna Eve Trimble of Phoenix, Arizona, located him through Ancestry DNA after years of searching.

George is survived by his wife, Hazel Meshrow of Idaho Falls; stepdaughter Michelle Waters (Brett) of Shelley, Idaho, and their children Brady, Bryce, and Carson, along with great-grandchildren Violet Waters and her sister Jozalynn Lords; stepdaughter Katie Bradley of Cincinnati, Ohio, and her children Lucas and Lily Ambrogi and Bailee Neal; his daughter, Joanna Eve Trimble, and her children Michelle, Michael and Cody Donahou plus 6 grandchildren.

He is also survived by his niece, Denise Wautel of Limington, Maine; cousins Paul Schenk of Naples, FL; Payce Blomquist of Sacramento, CA; Sharon Coglin of La Crosse, WI; and David Schenk of Grand Saline, TX.

He was preceded in death by his mother, Vivian; his father, Ernest; and his sister, Hulda.