Clemanta “Gizu” George

Clemanta “Gizu” George, a loving wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, artist, author, and entrepreneur, died on August 18 at her New England home in Nahua, NH, surrounded by family. She was 104.

Born on August 2, 1921, in Iași, Romania, Gizu shared fond memories of her early childhood years, playing with the neighborhood children and laughing with her brother, Tiberiu. She had loving parents, whom she admired greatly and who “always drank black coffee and talked till the wee hours about all they would accomplish.” Those conversations became fleeting dreams.

World War II erupted in Europe, putting an abrupt stop to all their dreams and plans. Gizu’s father and brother both died within months of each other, leaving Gizu and her mother to survive without them. Gizu was fortunate to be taken in by distant relatives who owned an oil factory, which was deemed necessary by the Germans and Russians. “The family could not have children, and they treated me like their own child,” Gizu said. She was given a job, delivering drawings between different departments, which is how she met her husband, Giani, an American-born orphan who taught himself seven languages and became an engineer and historian. He was the love of her life, and the couple was married for over sixty years.

After the war, Gizu and Giani slowly rebuilt their lives, had two children, and with Gizu’s mother, they lived a modest life. Giani’s career as an engineer advanced, while Gizu took care of the children. During this time, she won many drawing and literary awards for her poems and children’s books. She also launched her first business, making beautiful clothes for people of all ages. For those who could not afford her clothes, she found ways to buy supplies and give them.

Under communism, it became problematic that Giani was born in America and lived there until the age of 10. He was regarded as a spy by the communist authorities and experienced persecution by the government.

It was Gizu who devised a plan for them to flee Romania and pave a better life for their family. The two did not say anything to anyone and fled in the middle of the night to the outskirts of Boston, where they started life all over again. Ever industrious and now in her 70s, Gizu started a burgeoning alterations business, designing and altering wedding gowns while continuing to draw and write children’s stories. Her designs grew in popularity, and some were sold to Pricilla, a luxury bridal shop in downtown Boston that rose to prominence after making Grace Kelly’s wedding gown.

Gizu worked well into her 90s and continued to inspire those around her with her determination to find a better life and pave her own path in the face of adversity. Despite life’s challenges, her proudest achievement is bringing her family to the US and witnessing them thrive. To say she was a remarkable woman is an understatement – to her family, and especially to her grandchildren, she will always be Wonder Woman.

Gizu is survived by her children and their spouses, John and Mihaela, Ileana and Radu. She is also survived by her grandchildren and spouses, Ana and Gerard, John and Irina, Ioana and Jeremy, and her great-grandchildren, Landen, Oliver, Alina, Sophie, and Christopher.

The funeral will take place at the Davis Funeral Home on Saturday, August 23, 2025, in Nashua, NH. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to The Children’s Museum of New Hampshire.

May her memory be a blessing.