George Michael Felbinger passed away on July 26, 2025, at the James A. Lovell Federal Health Care Center (VA) in North Chicago, IL. Born in Chicago in 1942, George was the eldest of three brothers and a sister. He graduated from Lane Tech High School in 1960, and went on to earn a degree in 1965 as a metallurgical engineer at the Colorado School of Mines. At Mines, George was an active member of Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity and enjoyed being part of a football club team and a parachute club. Shortly after graduation and during the height of the Vietnam War, he was drafted into the Army and served at Aberdeen Proving Ground, where he ran empirical tests to improve armor and keep his fellow soldiers safe.

After the army, George started traveling. He dined with a fellow Army vet in Prague as the tanks rolled in to quell pro-Dubček rallies, his trusty 35mm Nikon at the ready. From there he went east on the Trans-Siberian Railway, pausing along the way to admire Lake Baikal, and then flew to Tokyo, Saigon, Hong Kong, Bangkok, and Angkor Wat. He lived in the family home in Bavaria for some time, studying German and exploring sites all over Europe and North Africa.

In the 1970s, George returned to Chicago and joined the family's real estate business, becoming active in local and international real estate organizations. He married, enjoyed life in Chicago's Old Town, and traveled around the country and to South America. He also served as President of Germania Club, contributing to the cultural fabric of the community.

But George's soul was not at home in properties or spec sheets. He moved to Beijing in the early 1990s, long before it was fashionable or easy. There, he studied Mandarin and transformed himself from a student of language, calligraphy, and Chinese brush painting into a cultural bridge-builder. He established himself in Shanghai, where his career wound through its globalizing logistics and sourcing industry. As General Manager at East Balt Bakeries, he oversaw plant commissioning that fed McDonald's expansion in eastern China.

One of George's greatest gifts was guanxi: the art of relationships. In 2002, he founded China Golden Source Ltd., a sourcing and quality control firm that helped small and medium enterprises navigate the shifting tides of Asian manufacturing. He offered advice to Westerners and Chinese entrepreneurs equally baffled by bureaucracy and served as a kind of living Rolodex, a man who knew whom to trust in Suzhou, Santiago, or Schaumburg. The Chicago China Club, which he founded in 2004 and led for over two decades, was less a business network than a movable feast of ideas, investments, and improbable friendships. On the second Monday of each month, foreign CEOs and Chinese start-up founders mingled at local restaurants over dim sum and wine vintages handpicked by George himself. The wine was always good; the conversations and new connections, even better. It was only reluctantly that George left Shanghai in 2010, when health issues forced him to leave the friends and culture he loved to return to Chicago for treatment at the VA.

Back in Chicago, there was no retirement for George, only the next event. He worked into his eighties, scribbling wine tasting notes, facilitating trans-pacific deals, and introducing yet another old friend to a new one. He loved spending time with friends, savoring a tasty meal at some local restaurant he had discovered, and getting together with family for Sunday dinners or holiday meals.

George was a dear brother to younger sister, Lucy (Ron) Harth, and younger brothers, Bernie and Karl, who preceded him in death. Wonderful memories of George remain with his niece and nephews - Sara (Tim) Filipiak, Karl (Ariel) Felbinger, Mark (Sadia) Felbinger, Andrew (Windy) Felbinger, Jonathan (Katy) Felbinger, Bernhard Felbinger, Jurgen (Katja) Felbinger, Cornelius (Nadine) Felbinger, Constantin (Sandra) Felbinger, and Roman Felbinger (deceased) - and with his great-nieces and great-nephews - Brian, Eric, Henry, Elle, George, Isadora, Arabella, Henri, Luzie, Lauren, Tizian, Ferris, Calina, and Leon.

In his passing, George leaves behind a legacy of determination, intellectual curiosity, and an unwavering commitment to bringing people together. His memory will continue to inspire those who knew him, and his contributions will resonate in the communities he so positively impacted. George Michael Felbinger's life was one well-lived, full of purpose, passion, and a profound sense of global citizenship. He will be deeply missed.

Contributions in his name would be welcomed to any of the following charities integrally tied to George and his family:

Orphans of the Storm (https://orphansofthestorm.org/)

Midwest Young Artists (https://mya.org/)

Blood Cancer United (https://bloodcancerunited.org/)