Many years ago, George Etzweiler and his wife, Mary, gave an old grill to friends in Boalsburg. Eventually, those friends packed the grill in its original box and sold it on eBay to a family in New Hampshire. When the buyers read the name “George Etzweiler” on the box, they messaged the sellers. “They said, ‘If we’d known the grill belonged to THE George Etzweiler, we’d have paid more for it,’” says George’s son, Larry. “I guess Dad was famous in New Hampshire.”

Etzweiler ’49, ’50 MS, ’64 PhD Eng wasn’t just famous in New Hampshire. The man who ran the Mount Washington Road Race 13 times—the last at age 98—was featured in Runner’s World and GQ.com. The longtime captain of a relay team for the 50-mile Tussey mOUnTaiNBACK, Etzweiler ran a 3.5-mile segment of the race in 2024, at age 104. 

The licensed electrician and Penn State engineering professor didn’t start running until he was 49, the same time Larry ’67 Sci did. Father and son enjoyed running together in many races, including the 1985 New York City Marathon. “There was a 26-year age difference between us,” says Larry, “but for many decades we were evenly paced.”

Born in Lewistown, Pa., Etzweiler joined the Navy in 1942 and came to Penn State on the G.I. Bill. After working as an electrician, he returned to University Park’s electrical engineering department in 1964. He retired in 1990. “He was a very good friend,” says Rama Das, who met Etzweiler in 1968 when her husband, engineering professor Mukunda Das, joined the department. Their families spent holidays together, learning about each other’s cultures. 

Etzweiler died March 16, 2025, in State College. He was 105. He is survived by his sons Larry and Chuck, and four grandchildren. —SI