George W. McLean, 81

George W. McLean, M.D., the first dermatologist of the Flathead Valley, passed away on March 26, 2026. He retired in 2010 after 33 years in practice in the Valley.

Born in Chattanooga, Tennessee, George grew up in Pinole, California. He graduated from DeAnza High School in 1962 and graduated with honors from the University of California, Berkeley in 1966, where he studied biochemistry.

Fulfilling a childhood dream inspired by medical literature, George attended Johns Hopkins Medical School in Baltimore, Maryland. There he met Celeste Lee and they married in the spring of 1968. After graduation in 1970, George and Celeste moved west to U.C. San Diego for his internship and residency in internal medicine.

His medical training was interrupted by the draft in 1972. George served honorably for two years as an emergency room physician with the Army's 3rd Infantry Division in Heidelberg, Germany. Upon returning to the U.S. in 1974, he completed his dermatology residency at U.C. San Diego. Drawn by the proximity to Glacier National Park and the Canadian Rockies, George and his growing family relocated to the Flathead Valley in September 1977, where he built a thriving practice.

George was a passionate mountaineer whose ascents included Devil's Tower, the Grand Teton, Mount Rainier’s Liberty Ridge, Mount Robson, and Denali, which he successfully summited in 1983 after surviving a harrowing, life-threatening storm on the mountain the year prior. In Glacier Park, he summited countless mountains, including the first winter ascent of Heavens Peak. He was also an amateur astronomer who ground his own telescope mirrors, a dedicated bird hunter accompanied by his beloved Griffon, "Bruno," and a lifelong political activist.

George and Celeste placed great importance on education and exposure to broad life experiences, taking immense pride in raising their three children. He cherished visits from his kids and seven grandchildren, sharing his love of hiking, pond hockey, and sledding.

He is survived by his wife of 58 years, Celeste; three children, George McLean and his wife, Hanna Melnick of Berkeley, California; Renee Chang of Portland, Oregon; and Cory McLean and his wife, Laura Petrillo of Newton, Massachusetts; seven grandchildren, Calvin, Conrad, Evelyn, Maxwell, Linnea, Paxton and Jasper; and a sister, Christine Harvey.

A celebration of life will be held at 2 p.m. on Saturday, May 2, at Lone Pine State Park Visitor Center. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations be made to the Flathead Food Bank.