PORTLAND, Ore. (CNS) — The late Cardinal Francis E. George was “an intellectual giant in service to the church and a man of deep faith, a true believer,” said Archbishop Alexander K. Sample of Portland. “His legacy will be felt for many years to come,” he added.Cardinal George, the retired archbishop of Chicago, who died April 17 after a long battle with cancer, was a former archbishop of Portland.Then-Bishop George had headed the Diocese of Yakima, Washington, for about six years when he was appointed to Portland in April 1996. Less than a year later, St. John Paul II named him to fill the position in Chicago, which was left vacant by the death of Cardinal Joseph Bernardin in November 1996. Archbishop George was named a cardinal in 1998. Archbishop Sample, who has been Portland’s shepherd since April 2013, said he had had a long conversation with his predecessor earlier this year. “I was able to express to him what an inspiration and example he has been to me as his ‘younger brother’ among the bishops,” Archbishop Sample told the Catholic Sentinel, Portland’s archdiocesan newspaper. When then-Archbishop George came to Portland, he asked Oregon Catholics to teach him how to be a good bishop. In return, he promised to help them become good missionaries. “His service was his intellect,” said Msgr. Patrick Brennan, pastor of St. Mary Cathedral in Portland and president-rector of Mount Angel Seminary during the 1990s. “I remember his vast intelligence and sweeping views of every issue,” Msgr. Brennan said. “He would speak at the drop of a hat on anything and it was like an encyclopedia, so logical, so clear. If you had a question, he would serve you by assisting you in that way.” Cardinal George is fondly remembered in Oregon. Retired Archbishop John G. Vlazny said he was somewhat intimidated when he was appointed to succeed Cardinal George in Portland in 1997. “But he quickly and quietly gave me all the support and encouragement I would ever need.” “He was a true brother in the college of bishops and a dedicated servant leader among God’s people,” said Archbishop Vlazny. “I visited him in early February and somehow we both knew it was the last time. He was always kind and understanding in our mutual dealings. He lived and died prayerfully and courageously. A great churchman, a holy priest. Well done, your Eminence. May he rest in peace.” “He was just about the most inspiring person I ever met,” said Anne Marie Van Dyke, an Archdiocese of Portland pastoral center staff member who worked in the building during Cardinal George’s tenure. “He had an aura about him. The first day I met him, I thought, ‘If ever we have an American pope, it could be this man.'” Along with his intelligence came a sense of humor. Once, Van Dyke’s workmates urged her to write a poem asking the archbishop to proclaim a day off on Easter Monday. She had regrets right after sending it. Was that inappropriate for so great a man? But then came his response, also a poem, which ended, “But not this year.” “His faithful service and knowledge of the Catholic Church were a welcome addition to our mission,” said John Limb, publisher of Oregon Catholic Press, where Cardinal George served as chairman of the board during his time in Portland. “He will be missed — in Portland, in Chicago and in the church around the world.” “The impact that Cardinal George had on the Archdiocese of Portland far exceeds the short time he was here,” said Mary Jo Tully, chancellor of the Archdiocese of Portland. “I was always touched by how attentively he listened to the least of our worries. If it was important to us, it was important to him. From the beginning, we knew that he cared for us. “His concern for us followed him to Chicago. Years after he left, he still asked about specific parishes and priests,” she said. “He inquired about situations that were unresolved when he left. Those of us who worked with the cardinal prayed for him through his battle with cancer and today we remember him in our prayers with great affection.” Ed Langlois, a staff member at the Catholic Sentinel, met Cardinal George at St. Andre Bessette Parish in late 1996. Langlois introduced his newborn son to the archbishop, and apologized that the infant had more hair than the bald churchman. “Being bald is the only thing that would make your son better looking,” Cardinal George responded without a pause. The next year, when he learned that St. John Paul II had named him as the successor to Cardinal Bernardin, he asked in surprise, “Are you sure the Holy Father has considered all the options?”