SAN DIEGO-Al George was the last volunteer to serve as chairman of CUNA in the late 1970s. He is still on the boardof North Island FCU in San Diego, Calif. He recalls the family atmosphere of the CU where he worked at San Diego Gas & Electric.
"Out of the 4,000 employees, we probably had 70% as members," he said. "Payroll deduction was hugely popular with members. One of my co-workers was having $10 a month taken out of his check for a Christmas fund. When he died suddenly of a heart attack, his wife found out he had this savings account and was thrilled. The money came in handy."
George also recalls the story of sharing an office at San Diego Gas & Electric with a co-worker who liked to build cars. He borrowed money from the CU to finance his hobby. One day on the way back from a trip to the mountains, he crashed one of his cars into a tree and died. When his wife came in the office to get his personal effects, she began to cry.
"She said she'd just visited the credit union to ask about paying off the loan on the car and they told her it was already paid off," said George. "The credit union had loan protection insurance and she owed nothing. She was really touched by the news and the relief to know she didn't have payments to make. I guess it touched me, too."
