George H. Hadley Jr., 54, Bensalem High vice principal

George Henry Hadley Jr., 54, of Trevose, an assistant principal at Bensalem High School, died of complications from colon cancer on Sunday, Jan. 1, at St. Mary Medical Center in Langhorne.

Mr. Hadley joined the Bensalem staff after graduating from Villanova University in 1979. He taught Spanish and French, and for 13 summers he chaperoned student trips to Europe. While teaching, he earned a master's degree in education from Villanova.

For the last eight years, Mr. Hadley was an assistant principal. His duties included scheduling classes, supervising nonteaching assistants, coordinating standardized tests, overseeing the foreign language program, and assisting with student-hosted luncheons for senior citizens.

Mr. Hadley was involved with the high school's theatrical productions, and in 2009 he was featured in one performance of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. The actor Tony Danza was featured in another.

"George touched the lives of many students and staff. He was patient and had a kind word for everyone," said Leonore Hope, an assistant principal at Bensalem High and a lifelong friend.

Mr. Hadley could mimic a British accent to perfection, his sister Joyce said.

An avid Anglophile, he corresponded with Queen Elizabeth II. In 1977, he hosted a party at his home to mark the 25th anniversary of her coronation, at which guests dressed as royalty.

Mr. Hadley enjoyed entertaining, traveling abroad, skiing, golfing, attending the theater in Philadelphia and New York, and acquiring the best and latest technology, his sister said.

He was a eucharistic minister at St. Christopher's Church in Northeast Philadelphia, and taught evening religion classes there for 18 years.

In addition to his sister Joyce, Mr. Hadley is survived by his sister Marguerite Vera and three nieces.

Friends may call from 6 to 9 p.m. Friday, Jan. 6, at Tomlinson Funeral Home, 2207 Bristol Pike, Bensalem, and from 9 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 7, followed by a Funeral Mass at 10 a.m. at St. Christopher's Church, 13301 Proctor Rd., Philadelphia 19116. Burial will be in Resurrection Cemetery, Bensalem.

Donations may be made to the church or to the George H. Hadley Sr. Scholarship Fund, Bensalem High School, 4391 Hulmeville Rd., Bensalem, Pa. 19020.