George Sanko

George Sanko, 86, of Conyers, GA, passed away May 23, 2018 after a two-week illness. Born in Aiken, South Carolina November 15, 1931, he was the son of the late Andrew and Christine Sangus. He attended Aiken High School, where he was a star basketball player. After graduating from Clemson College he served in the United States Army in the mid-1950s. He taught middle school and high school in South Carolina before marrying and moving to Georgia in 1964 to do post-graduate work at the University of Georgia. In 1965 he began teaching Biology and Botany at DeKalb College, later known as Georgia Perimeter College. An avid botanist and collector of ferns and wildflowers, he started working on a garden of native plants at Perimeter College in the early 1990s. The garden grew, and under his care and supervision the Georgia Perimeter Botanical Garden has become well known and highly respected by gardeners and botanists all over the state and beyond.

He is survived by Barbara, his wife of 54 years; daughter, Tami Glaze and her husband, Charles; son, Brad and his wife, Stacy; grandchildren, Nathaniel and Christina Glaze, and Jonah and Annie Sanko; and two sisters, Sylvia Keaton and Irene Rangos, both of Aiken, South Carolina.

George was well loved, and will be sorely missed.

The family will receive friends on Monday, May 28, from 12:00 until 2:00 at A.S. Turner and Sons. The funeral service will begin at 2:00 pm in the Chapel.

The family has designated the Perimeter College Botanical Gardens for memorial contributions. You can make your gift online at gsu/pcnativegarden or by mail. Checks may be made payable to GSU Foundation and mailed to GSU-Perimeter College, Development Office, (Box #5), 3251 Panthersville Rd., Decatur GA 30034-3832.

Feel free to leave the family your condolences via the guestbook provided.