George William Schleehauf Jr.

Born on August 9, 1931, in Geneva, New York, George traveled the world, and later made his home in St. James City, Florida. He is survived by his wife of 71 years, Florence, his high school sweetheart, his daughters Karen and Kathleen, and his granddaughter Alexis.

George proudly served in the United States Air Force and retired as a Major in 1975. During his career, he flew throughout Europe as a communications officer and pilot, served as an exchange officer with the Royal Canadian Air Force, flew missions in the years following the Korean War, and flew combat missions during the Vietnam War, for which he was decorated. He also served as USAF Mission Commander during Deep Freeze '74, including the legendary task of flying penguins to and from the San Diego Zoo, a story that became a treasured part of family lore.

Flying was one of the great loves of his life. Beyond the cockpit and the uniform, he was a natural craftsman and an incurable tinkerer; fishing, experimenting in the kitchen, making jewelry, working metal, and fixing whatever needed fixing. He was capable, curious, deeply independent, and famously stubborn, including about getting up on the roof himself long after everyone around him thought that should be someone else's job.

A graveside dedication and celebration of George's life will be held in the late spring at Brookside Cemetery in Geneva, with details forthcoming.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that memorial donations be made to the American Heart Association or Disabled American Veterans. Arrangements are in the care of Coral Ridge Funeral Home & Cemetery.

Because flying was one of the great loves of his life, George asked that the following poem, High Flight by John Gillespie Magee Jr., be included as part of his remembrance:

High Flight by John Gillespie Magee Jr.

Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of earth and danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings; sunward I've climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth of sun-split clouds, - and done a hundred things you have not dreamed of - wheeled and soared and swung high in the sunlit silence. Hov'ring there, I've chased the shouting wind along, and flung my eager craft through footless halls of air .... Up, up the long, delirious, burning blue I've topped the wind-swept heights with easy grace where never lark, or even eagle flew - and, while with silent lifting mind I've trod the high untrespassed sanctity of space, put out my hand, and touched the face of God.