George Schelling

1/20/2013

George Schelling age 99 ½ died Sunday, January 20, 2013, peacefully at home with the comfort and care of his family.

He was born in New York City to German immigrant parents the late Arthur and Margaret(Dietrich) Schelling. George’s father owned a New York City deli on Amsterdam Avenue. The family moved to a cold water flat in Jersey City where he owned and operated a bar. His mother made potato salad that was given out free to patrols. In 1921 the family moved to Pequannock where they again owned and operated a deli. George's first job was pulling weeds for a farmer for 1.00 a day. Still under the age of 10 he worked for a milk man who lived where Lincoln Park Airport now resides. His family eventually sold the deli and got into the construction trades building residential and commercial buildings. As the years went on the family construction business specialized in the production of diners and changed the company name to New Masters Diners. Some of the diners they built serve as landmarks in their towns: The Bendix Diner in Hasbrouck Heights, the Eggplatter Diner in Paterson, and even Cooperstown Diner in Cooperstown, NY.

George graduated from Butler High School after attending his lower grades in a two room schoolhouse in Wayne. George was drafted in the United States Army and served with the Co C 284 Engineer Battalion from 1943 through 1945. He served in Ardennes, Central Europe, Rhineland, and Rome-Arno and received the WWII Victory Medal, European-African-Middle Eastern Service Medals, as well as the Good Conduct Medal. After his service he again worked at the family business New Masters Diners before retiring in 1976.

George was never one to sit still. He was a true outdoorsman and enjoyed hunting, fishing, trapping, and hiking. In 1954 George gathered his family into the station wagon and drove to Alaska. This was no easy trek as many of the highways that we take for granted weren’t built yet or were just dirt roads. He joined a hiking group with people half his age and attempted to travel the entire Appalachian Trail one segment at a time. George hiked the entire Appalachian Trail and finished his quest when he was in his 80’s. When you went on a 3 mile hike with him it was actually an eight mile hike. His love of the outdoors is something he enjoyed sharing with friends, his children, and grandchildren. His daughter Kathy moved to Alaska and lived there for eighteen years. Dad could be counted on visiting almost every summer to fish and climb mountains.

George met his wife Virginia as he was the landlord to property her family was renting along the river in Pequannock. One hot afternoon Virginia invited her high school friends over to the river for a swim. George was there to rescue Virginia after she ventured into the water and couldn’t swim. George gave Virginia his high school ring but ground the year of graduation off so she couldn’t tell his age. They fell in love and marred about a year later. They married on July 12, 1947 and had a loving and devoted marriage. Most recently they stayed in separate hospital beds in the same room at home. George would reach his hand through the bed rails and Virginia would extend hers as they touched to say goodnight to each other.

George was the loving husband of 65 years to Virginia (Williams) Schelling; loving father of the late Robert Schelling(1980), Kathy Hibbard and her husband Jim residing temporarily in Pompton Plains, and Carol Magazino and her husband John of Pompton Plains; loved brother of the late Elsie Van Riper(2012), and Bill Schelling of Wayne; cherished grandfather of Scott, Christopher, and Joshua Hibbard, Gwen, Stephen, and Kevin Lopez; much loved great-grandfather of Schelling, Andrew, Wade, Harrington, Quinn, Paysen, Audrey, and Lucas.

Friends may visit with the family on Thursday, January 24, 2013 from 3-7PM at the Vander May Wayne Colonial Funeral Home, 567 Ratzer Road, Wayne.

An 11 AM funeral service will be held Friday, January 25, 2013 at the Grace Bible Church, 150 Sunset Road, Pequannock.

Interment will be in Laurel Grove Memorial Park, Totowa