George Bednar, 65; Created The "Harvey Wallbanger"; FB Player For Notre Dame/St. Louis Cardinals
Bill Schenley
FROM: The Wilkes-Barre (PA) Times Leader (December 11th) ~
By Sherry Long
KINGSTON TWP.
If you've ever been to a cocktail lounge and ordered a
Harvey Wallbanger, you might want to thank George
Bednar.
Bednar, a Shavertown native and business entrepreneur
and marketing guru, died Thursday in his residence in
Roxbury, Conn., at the age of 65. But his legacy in potent
potables will remain.
Bednar is most known for his marketing campaign in the
early 1970s that brought the Harvey Wallbanger cocktail
to international prominence. But before his rise to
prominence in the cocktail world, he lived another one of
his passions, football.
Coached by legendary coach Bernie Popson, Bednar
graduated from Central Catholic High School in 1960
before attending the University of Notre Dame, his wife
Frances said.
In college Bednar played offensive guard and defensive
tackle, Bill Pheiffer said, who met Bednar when they
both started their freshman years at the university.
Since both men came from humble beginnings, the
football teammates developed a strong friendship and
become best friends, he said.
In 1964, Bednar played in the Blue-Grey All-Star Game
and the College All-Star Game, but Pheiffer said one of
Bednar's best performances was two years earlier in
Los Angeles when Notre Dame played USC, which was
later named national champions.
Bednar went head to head against USC All-American lineman
Marv Marinovich during the game.
"It was a battle of the titans," Pheiffer said. "Notre Dame
lost the game, but George won the battle,"
Bednar played for the St. Louis Cardinals for two years until
1966, but had also been pursued by Al Davis, then an
Oakland Raiders assistant coach in the AFL.
Bednar graduated from the University of Norte Dame in
1964 with a bachelor of arts in economics and returned home
to marry Frances before they moved to St. Louis.
After leaving the NFL in 1966, Bednar became the
marketing/sales director for McKesson Imports Co.
Bednar made the Harvey Wallbanger cocktail internationally
famous in the early 1970s by suggesting bartenders on
America's West Coast promote the cocktail. It's made using
vodka, orange juice and topping it off with Galliano liquor.
"The reason Harvey Wallbanger was popular is because there
was only one Galliano," said Tony Wright, Bednar's business
partner of 36 years
"It was a good drink that required a specific wine and only
that brand."
Sales of Galliano quadrupled after Bednar developed the
Wallbanger character and tag line - "Harvey Wallbanger is the
name.and I can be made!"
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Photo:
http://nickgardner.files.wordpress.com/2006/07/harvey_wallbanger.jpg
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FROM: The Time Leader (December 9th) !
George John Bednar, 65, successful entrepreneur, avid sportsman
and pro football player, died Thursday, December 6, 2007, at his
home in Roxbury, Conn., after a long illness.
George was born in Kingston, on March 16, 1942, to George and
Margaret Bednar. He was the older brother to four sisters.
He was a high school football star who went on to play offensive
tackle at the University of Notre Dame and was named an
All-American player. He graduated with a Bachelor of Art degree
in economics.
Following college, George was drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals
football team and played professionally for them from 1964 to 1966.
Shortly thereafter, George began his business career at McKesson
Imports Co. as its sales and marketing director.
In the early 1970s, George created and launched to a national
audience the "Harvey Wallbanger" mixed drink, creating the
Wallbanger character and the tag line - "My name is Harvey
Wallbanger and I can be made."
This marketing idea quadrupled sales of his company's
Galliano Liqueur, its key ingredient. The success of this
campaign and others led George to found International
Marketing Group Inc. in 1976 to provide marketing consulting
services to the wine and spirits industry.
IMG quickly became the premier agency it its field and created
precedent-setting promotions for many of the top spirits
brands including Bacardi, Stolichnaya, and Johnny Walker.
In the early 1980s, George founded Promotion Systems Inc.
to provide promotion and marketing consulting services to
broader companies such as J&J, Playtex and Seagrams.
In 1981, George bought the Sandanona Shooting Preserve in
Millbrook, N.Y., the oldest private shooting preserve in the
U.S. In subsequent years, he built it into the top shooting sports
business in the Northeast, with pheasant, duck, grouse and
chucker hunts.
George also built a premier shooting school on the premises
and created a world class regulation Sporting Clays course.
During this period, George became an important influence at
the Sporting Clay's Association of America, both as a member
of its board of directors and as a top-tier sporting clays
competitor.
In 2004, George founded SunCalc Ltd. to manufacture and
market the patented and trademarked SunCalc sunlight
measuring device. This unique product enables home gardeners
and landscapers to match a plants light requirements with the
actual sunlight conditions in specific garden area.
George was a born entrepreneur and a natural salesman who
enjoyed a balanced life. He was a true outdoorsman who
loved shooting, fishing, and golf.
He was a passionate conservative who always enjoyed
engaging others in lively debate. In recent years, his greatest
joy was his eight grandchildren.
His daughter Susan described her dad as "larger than life at
times; he was a big guy and had a great sense of humor. His
own boss most of his life, he enjoyed his success and his family
but never took himself too seriously."
George is survived by his wife Frances; daughter,
Susan Bednar Long, of Washington Depot, Conn.; his sons,
G. David Bednar, of New York, N.Y., and Christopher Bednar,
of New Milford, Conn.; his sister, Diane Serhan, of Encinitas,
Calif.; his sister, Vivian Scavo, of Duryea; his sister, Lorraine
Wilson, of Kerrville, Texas; his sister, Debbie Levin, of
Knoxville, Tenn.; eight grandchildren.
The family will receive friends at 10 a.m. Tuesday, Dec. 11,
with a service following at 11:30 a.m. from the Lillis Funeral
Home, 58 Bridge Street, New Milford, Conn. Burial will follow
in St. Patrick's Cemetery. A luncheon reception is to be
announced.
Contributions in George's name may be made to the Visiting
Nurses of New Milford, 68 Park Lane Road, New Milford,
CT 06776.
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