An active member of the Eastern Puma Research group, George W. Maugans III, 64, died suddenly after a massive heart attack on Sunday afternoon, May 2, 2010.

Maugans and EPR’s director John Lutz met through his late father Maugans II, after being introduced by another long-time research friend, the late Louis E. Corbin. After graduating with a law degree from Harvard and setting up a law practice in Baltimore, Maugans III joined EPR in field studies and investigations of mountain lions, Bigfoot, and other cryptid reports across central and eastern Maryland, southern Pennsylvania, Delaware, northern Virginia and eastern West Virginia.

In recent years, he collected his dedication to educating the public about gathering signs of the presence of the eastern pumas in Maryland and the surrounding states. For example, during the weekend of April 23rd through April 25th, 2010, Maugans enjoyed working as a member of the EPR group at their cougar display booth at the Spring Mountain Festival in Grant County, West Virginia.

Maugans and Lutz had planned to conduct field investigations in the Mononglahela National Forest during last weekend, so Maugans’s unexpected death has had a serious impact on the EPR’s field operations. Those plans were placed on hold, in consideration of the mood of those in the organization.

Maugans became so engrosssed with Lutz’s residence in the Potomac Highlands of West Virginia that Maugans began talking of retirement and relocating from Baltimore to that peaceful wilderness mountain site within the next 12 months. Instead, he died suddenly at his Baltimore-area home before he made his move.

An intelligent, seasoned researcher has passed away. Our condolences to his family and friends.