George Raymond Bienfang Jr. was born on April 16, 1930, in Mount Clemens, Michigan, to George Raymond and Margaret (McClellan) Bienfang. His mom nicknamed him "Beanie" shortly after he was born.

An army brat, he lived all over the United States. He sailed through the Panama Canal with his parents on the way to his father's posting at Hickam Field at Pearl Harbor. At age 11, he stood guard over his mother with his father's West Point sword as the bombs fell on December 7, 1941.

George attended Centenary College in Shreveport, Louisiana, where he met the love of his life, Catherine Anne Settles. They married on December 27, 1952. George and Catherine had many wonderful adventures together: They raised three kids. They raced their sailboat (The Tranquilizer) on Lake Ray Hubbard, played doubles tennis, and sailed the British Virgin Islands on bareboat charters. They traveled north to Alaska, west to Pearl Harbor, and east to Paris, France, and the beaches of Normandy. After Catherine's passing in 2015, George continued traveling with his kids.

After serving stateside as a United States Air Force fighter pilot during the Korean War, George embarked on a 30-year career with Aetna Life & Casualty. He was subsequently promoted to general agent three different times – in Lubbock, Shreveport, and Dallas. George was elected president of the general agent's field counsel on two different occasions. After retiring from "The Aetna" in the mid-80s, George started his own agency, The George Bienfang Company. He worked as an independent insurance agent until he sold the agency in 2011. His aim was to treat insurance as a customer service rather than a sales business, and in so doing he earned the loyalty of so many customers over the years.

An avid chili cook, George qualified for the Terlingua International Chili Championship several times by winning local chili cook-offs. He was very social, and he loved his life. He often said that he felt like the luckiest guy breathin' air! When not going out for lunch or dinner with friends, he was hosting fancy dinner parties at home for family and friends

A member of the Episcopal Church of the Transfiguration since 1971, George was involved in many service projects through the Episcopal Men's Fellowship, including the annual fish fry plus his longtime role as the EMF pastry chef. He served as Senior Warden on the Church Vestry and was proud of negotiating with AT&T to build the Church's beautiful bell tower, which also functions as a cell phone tower. This innovative idea was a driving force behind the Church's significant expansions in 1994. George served on other church committees, including his term as Trustee of the Endowment Fund, and decades as an usher at Sunday services. He ministered in many unique ways – such as providing cloth napkins for church celebrations and dinners to add a touch of elegance to these events. But his favorite ministry was one he took on alone–calling each and every parishioner, including the children, on their birthday! It made his heart happy.

He is survived by his son George Bienfang, daughters Anne Bienfang and Nancy Hogan (Jim Anderson), niece Jane Shafer (Paul), grandson Patrick Hogan (Brittany), granddaughter Cara Hogan, great-granddaughter Juniper Hogan, two great-nieces, and two great-nephews.

His children wish to thank Hospice Plus for caring for George and supporting the three of them during the last four days of his life. They helped make this time beautifully peaceful. In lieu of flowers, please provide memorial gifts in the name of George Bienfang to the Church of the Transfiguration's Endowment Fund or the charity of your choice.

Beanie's life will be remembered and celebrated with a Requiem Eucharist on Wednesday, March 12, 2025, at 2:00 p.m., at the Episcopal Church of the Transfiguration, 14115 Hillcrest Road, Dallas, TX, 75254. A small reception will follow the service.