George Joseph Lyford

George J. Lyford, loving husband, father, and grandfather, passed away peacefully on Monday, March 20, 2023, at age 78 in his Las Vegas home surrounded by family. He was born on March 12, 1945, to George and Rose (Harris) Lyford and grew up in Philadelphia, PA. He enlisted in the United States Marine Corp in 1962 as a Private and was honorably discharged as a Sergeant in 1966. After serving in the military, he worked as a Deputy Sheriff in Buffalo, NY while attending the University of Buffalo to earn his bachelor’s degree in Political Science. He later continued his education to complete his master’s degree in Investigation of Financial Crimes from George Washington University in May 1980.

In May of 1973, he entered the Federal Bureau of Investigation Academy. He completed his training in Quantico, VA before being assigned as a Special Agent to the Cleveland, OH office. In 1979, he was transferred to the Washington Headquarters office as a Special Agent for the NCIC Unit. He also served as Special Agent of the Inspectors Unit and the Undercover/Special Operations Unit. In 1984 he was transferred to the Las Vegas FBI office to be the Supervisory Special Agent of the Reactive/General Criminal Squad. Throughout his years as Supervisory Special Agent he also led the Narcotics Squad, Surveillance Squad, and the White-Collar Crimes Squad before retiring in March 1995. During his 22-year career with the FBI he worked cases ranging from civil rights, bank robberies, kidnappings, fugitives, extortion, and white-collar crimes.

After retiring from the FBI in 1995 he joined the private investigations firm, Advantage Group. In 1998 he became the Director of Investigations for the Nevada State Contractors Board; a position he held for 20 years. Beyond George’s skills and expertise in investigations, he was most remembered at the Contractors Board for his gentle demeanor, illustrative storytelling, and contagious smile and laughter. George became an extended family member to each of his colleagues, a mentor to those who had the pleasure of working with him, and created a legacy at the Board that will never be forgotten.

His love for work was tangible and could be seen and felt through every interaction you had with him. So much so, that when questioned about retirement, his response would always be, “I will retire when I have three bad days in a row.” Never have you met someone more positive and dedicated to fulfilling all he was brought to Earth to accomplish. And although he stayed true to himself, never reaching that three-day milestone, in July of 2018, George finally saw the value in making every day a Saturday. His retirement was bittersweet, as his uplifting energy would be missed in the workplace, but everyone could not be happier to see him do something for himself and begin living a life of leisure, however he felt best.

George married Kathleen (Belz) Lyford on November 27, 1965. Together they raised three wonderful children: Michael Lyford, Heather (Lyford) Swanson and Craig Lyford.

George adored his family and cherished every moment spent together. He doted on his grandchildren sharing stories of their growth, love of sports and activities, and all the ways they had him wrapped around his little finger. He looked forward to summer vacations at the shore with the family and was an avid fan of the San Francisco Giants and Buffalo Bills. In his spare time, he loved to work on his Genealogy research. Unlike most who utilize the Internet and family pictures to construct their family tree, George packed up the car and headed East on many occasions to visit the gravesites and family landmarks of his ancestors; because you can’t document a date unless you verify it for yourself on the headstone. That was George. Thorough, inquisitive, adventurous, and always looking for opportunities to expand his knowledge. His efforts and years of dedication led to binders full of our family history that we will be able to enjoy for many years to come. A legacy in the making, and one that he knew would be invaluable to us all in our days without him. George was selfless in all he did and will forever fill our hearts with his love and grace.

He was preceded in death by his parents, George and Rose Lyford and his grandson Zachary Lyford.

He is survived by his wife Kathleen, their children Michael and Kim (Swain) Lyford, Heather and Daniel Swanson, Craig Lyford and Shannon Zoellick. His six grandchildren Cody, Kelcee, Savannah, Tabitha, Sammy and Braidy. His two sisters Maryann Seefeldt and Joan (and John) Mako, nieces and nephews. As well as many dear friends who walked through life alongside him.

A mass will be held at the Holy Spirit Catholic Church on April 29, 2023, at 1:00 p.m. and a private burial will follow in May of 2023 at the Southern Nevada Veterans Memorial Cemetery, which will include military honors.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made in memory of George to the Former Agents of the FBI Foundation at www.socxfbi.org, Nathan Adelson Hospice or the American Cancer Society.