BIOGRAPHY OF THE LATE
MR. GEORGE  KORKWEI KORLEY

George attended the Liberty Avenue Primary School in Adabraka and the St. Thomas Aquinas Secondary School in Cantonment. He continued his secondary education at the Okuapeman Secondary School in Akropong-Akwapim located in the Eastern Region. He gained admission into Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) located in Kumasi after successfully passing his sixth form ‘A’ level examination. At the university, he pursued the Civil Engineering program and successfully came out with a Bachelor of Science degree.

George did his national service at the Ghana Highway Authority head office in Accra. He was the Assistant Manager of Mobile Maintenance Unit II in charge of major road maintenance works in the southern part of the Volta Region. This was a work that he diligently executed to the admiration of many people.

As a young adult, George met the love of his life Joyce Ashong in 1980.  The two fell in love and married in Accra in 1987. They had their first child, Karen, on July 9th, 1988.  Shortly after giving birth to Karen, George traveled to London and then finally to America to further his education and pursue employment opportunities.  In May 1990, he successfully completed his master’s degree program in structural engineering from City College New York.

George and Joyce had their second child together, Klaudia, on October 12th, 1993.  The two lived in Queens, New York at the time.  They had their last child and first son, Konrad on June 2nd, 2000.  They moved to New Jersey shortly after and the two have lived happily with their family in Old Bridge, New Jersey for more than 20 years.

George was a licensed professional engineer registered in NY, NJ, CT, PA, MA, and FL. His first engineering job in the United States was at OKG Engineer, PLLC.  Since then, he worked for a number of leading engineering firms, including Dewberry, Goodkind and O’Dea Incorporated, Parsons, STV Incorporated, and then lastly at TransSystem. In January 2013, however, George achieved his professional dream of starting his own engineering consultancy, Korley Engineering Consultants, LLC.  With his extensive experience in the design and analysis of complex bridges and building structures, he brought a wealth of creative solutions to the structural and civil engineering world.  He worked on numerous high-profile projects such as the Replacement of the Upper-Level Deck of the Verrazano Narrows Bridge with Orthotropic Steel Deck, the new Woodrow Wilson Bridge, and the new Tappan Zee - Governor Mario Cuomo Bridge.

George was passionate about imparting his knowledge and in light of this; he worked briefly as an Adjunct Professor at City College of New York where he taught various courses in Bridge Engineering.  He also co-authored two books: Standard Handbook of Engineering Calculations, 5th Edition and Handbook of Civil Engineering Calculation, 3rd Edition, writing the structural engineering sections of these books.

He was deeply involved in the Ghanaian community in New Jersey, serving as the President of the Ghanaian Engineers and Architects Association of America.  In his capacity as President, George led the growth of the organization, including strategically raising funds for projects in Ghana.  He also created a mentoring group for young students looking to pursue engineering and architecture.

George was an active member at Simpson United Methodist Church.  He served as the Sunday school superintendent for many years.  He was also a part of the Men’s Prayer group and the church choir.

George was a good Christian and a God-fearing man, an academician, who was very generous, humble, respectful, kind, and affable to his friends, family members, and all who came into contact with him. He had a great sense of humor and always ensured there was happiness wherever he was found.

George was a very responsible father, a faithful and trustworthy husband who embraced the loving care of his family. He ensured his children were loved and provided for and were supported with their studies. He raised them to be compassionate, driven young adults, strong in purpose and sense of self.

George Korkwei Korley passed suddenly on February 20th, 2021. His passing is deeply shocking and tragic. He left behind his wife, Mrs. Joyce Ayerchoe Korley, and their three beautiful children, Karen, Klaudia, and Konrad.

May his soul rest in perfect peace in the heavenly mansion prepared for him by our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

George fare thee well - Yahweh be with you.

Ya hi shi ojogbann ye tse ofe le hewale mlin