Kittery, Maine - George William Middleton, devoted husband, father, and pastor, who served communities across Massachusetts, Quebec, Maine, and New York, died at York Hospital in York, Maine, on December 2, 2025, at the age of 76, with his wife and two sons at his side. George was born on October 29, 1949, in Malden, Massachusetts, the son of Frederick and Mary Middleton.

George's youth was spent in Malden and Melrose, MA. As a child, he loved playing with the Lionel train setup and village his dad created for him. He enjoyed summers with many aunts, uncles, and cousins at the family camp in Wiscasset, ME, followed by sunny beach days at Reid State Park.

After graduating from Malden High School in 1968, George entered the U.S. Navy, where he maintained helicopters. The most significant time of his service was spent at Naval Air Station Lemoore and in the Philippines. It was during his time in the service that George heard the gospel and became a follower of Jesus Christ. Some of his fondest ministry memories were those he made while leading a youth group for teenagers of military members in the Philippines.

After completing his service commitment, George enrolled at Moody Bible Institute in Chicago, IL. It was at Moody that this young man from the Boston area met a young woman from San Diego. After initial efforts proved fruitless, a friend encouraged him not to give up the pursuit. A relationship slowly formed, and later George proposed while playing the guitar with a rose in his mouth from a fire escape. In 1976, George "Custard" and Leslie Dodge "Cupcake" married.

Their marriage focused on serving others and started with volunteer work with the youth at Faith Evangelical Church in Melrose, MA, where he made many lifelong friends while leading the youth group. This set a trajectory that resulted in George becoming an ordained pastor and accepting calls to pastor three churches: Danville Advent Christian Church in Danville, Quebec (5 years), Crouseville Advent Christian Church in Crouseville, ME, (6 years), and Northside Community Advent Christian Church in Massena, NY (23 years).

During this time, George served at a number of Advent Christian camps (usually as a speaker or director), including Beebe Advent Christian Camp in Stanstead, QC, Camp NOMACCA in Mapleton, ME, and Big Lake Campmeeting in Big Lake Township, Princeton, ME. George was the Massena Rescue Squad chaplain for 15 years and a member of the Greater Massena Ministerial Association for more than 20 years, serving as president for a handful of those years.

In 2017, George accepted a call to serve as chaplain for Meetinghouse Village in Kittery, ME. During this season, he became heavily involved in the Advent Christian Church of South Eliot, ME, and enjoyed living closer to extended family.

In 2021, George was diagnosed with Parkinson's, and over the subsequent years, symptoms increasingly aligned with Multiple System Atrophy (MSA). The condition steadily changed George and Leslie's everyday lives, resulting in Leslie serving as a full-time caregiver for George in his final years. Through it all, they maintained an affection for and delight in each other.

George loved his wife, was proud of his sons, delighted in his grandchildren, cared about and stayed in touch with extended family, and sought to serve others.

George spent many hours working on cars, even serving as an auto mechanic for a time. For many decades he showed an ability to keep aged vehicles running past their prime. He enjoyed collecting Matchbox/Hot Wheels cars and model trains and incorporated those trains into many Christmas sermons.

George's sense of humor was one of the first things people would mention about him. It made an impression. For George, humor was a way to connect with and serve others. His humor wasn't a way for him to gain attention. Rather, it was a way to serve and bless others and to enjoy something with them. George could often be heard asking, "Aren't you glad that God gave us a sense of humor?"

George was predeceased by his mother, Mary (Moylen) Middleton; his father, Frederick Middleton; his half sister, Nancy O'Keeffe, and his half brother, Richard "Dick" Joseph. George is survived by his wife of 49 years, Leslie Middleton; sister, Annie Middleton and wife, Beth of Lyman, ME; and half brother, James "Jim" Joseph of Quincy, MA. He is also survived by two sons, Luke Middleton and wife, Kristin, of Topsham, ME, and Seth Middleton and wife, Rebecca, of Burke, VA; six grandchildren who will miss their Papa; and many nieces and nephews.

A "Legacy of Life" service will be held on Saturday, December 13, at 1 p.m. at Emmanuel Advent Christian Church, 75 Eastern Ave., Rochester, NH. The gathering will be fragrance-free due to family allergies. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Meeting House Village https://www.meetinghousevillage.org/giving, where George served as Chaplain in his final years, or Sports and Music Camp, 634 State Street, Portsmouth, NH 03801 because George was fond of saying, "Camp is the best thing that happens all year."