Age 90, of Mt. Lebanon, on Friday December 13, 2024. Bishop George W. Bashore was a retired bishop of The United Methodist Church, having served from 1980-2000. In 1998, he became the President of the Council of Bishops to serve a one-year term. Bishop Bashore was born in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. He graduated from Princeton University cum laude with an A.B. degree and cum laude from United Theological Seminary with the M.Div. degree. He received the D.Min. degree from the same seminary and was granted an honorary doctorate from Albright College. He was ordained in the former Evangelical United Brethren tradition by Bishop George Epp in 1958. For fourteen years he served as pastor in Reading, Pennsylvania, where the congregation, Inner City Parish, initiated a creative inner-city ministry.  Bashore then helped to inaugurate an ecumenical, interracial ministry in the city. In 1973 he became the District Superintendent of the Lebanon-Reading District of the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference. He had just completed one year as pastor of First Church in Lancaster, Pennsylvania when the Northeastern Jurisdictional Conference elected him to the episcopacy in 1980.George Bashore was first elected as a delegate to the special session of the General Conference in 1966 and then to successive General Conferences 1968-1980. Twice he was the head of the conference delegation. He served on the General Commission to Study the Episcopacy and District Superintendency and on the General Council on Ministries. He was elected as a trustee on numerous boards of institutions. After his election as a bishop, George served as the President of the Council of Bishops, President of the General Board of Discipleship, and a member of the Board of Higher Education and Ministry and the Board of Publication. He served the Boston Area from 1980 to 1988 and the Pittsburgh Area from 1988 to 2000. He enjoyed the piano, singing, and tennis. In retirement, he served as Bishop-in-Residence of Mt. Lebanon Church in Mt. Lebanon, Pennsylvania. He was a member of the executive committee of the Religious Alliance Against Pornography.

Bishop Bashore was married to Carolyn Ruth Baumgartner (since September 20, 1957). They had three children: Wanda Ruth Allison, John Willis Bashore, and Barbara Lynn Heagy (Rev. Douglas). They also had seven grandchildren: Andrea Lauren Allison, Joshua Donald Allison, Matthew George Allison, Hannah Grace Heagy, Nicole Joy Allison, Jonathan Martin Heagy, and Thomas Gabriel Heagy. Brother of the late Frank Bashore.  Also survived by seven great-grandchildren.

A Memorial Service will be held in the Mt. Lebanon United Methodist Church 3319 West Liberty Ave. Pittsburgh, PA 15216 on Saturday December 28 at 2:00 PM. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to United Theological Seminary 4501 Denlinger Rd. Dayton, OH 45426 - George and Carolyn Bashore Scholarship Fund.