George Laurence Wald

WALD, GEORGE L. of Coral Springs, Florida died on October 19, 2011. Born in Lakewood, Ohio on September 3, 1940, he grew up in North Olmsted, Ohio. After graduation from high school George earned several pilot licenses and subsequently worked for Sundorph Aeronautical Service, Cleveland, as a flight instructor. While a member of the U.S. Air Force Reserve he joined Lake Central Airlines as a flight engineer. Following Lake Central, he joined Northeast Airlines and then Delta Airlines where he retired as Captain after 33 years of service. Along with his professional career, he spent much of his time volunteering for several organizations. George served St. Benedict’s Episcopal Church in Plantation as a member of the Vestry and Junior Warden. In 1982 he started a Youth Group fundraising program of selling Christmas trees, wreaths and poinsettias which has expanded to include other churches in the South Florida area. Mr. Wald helped harvest the trees in North Carolina and bring them to South Florida the first week of December each year. George also participated in the Greenland Expedition Society, an organization devoted to locating, recovering and restoring the Lost Squadron, a flight of WWll airplanes (P-38s Lightnings and B-17s Flying Fortresses) that had crash landed on the Greenland Icecap in 1942. He was on the 1990 and 1992 GES expeditions, which culminated in the recovery and restoration of “Glacier Girl,” a P-38 that is now flying and can be seen at air shows across the country. George also supported the restoration of Ship 41, the first Delta DC-3 used for commercial passenger service. He volunteered at the Delta Aviation Museum over two years as part of the restoration team. Ship 41 was completed in 1999. George loved and could fix or restore any vehicle that used an internal combustion engine, including cars (modern and vintage) and airplanes ( a Piper Cub). He also enjoyed restoring antique toy trains, particularly postwar American Flyer. Most of all George loved his family: Patricia, his wife of 46 years, his children and grandchildren and his siblings. He enjoyed spending time at the Cedar Point Amusement Park, fishing at Racquette Lake, skiing in Colorado and summers in North Olmsted. George is survived by his wife, Patricia A. (nee Everest), children Amy Oppy (Gene) of Coral Springs, Florida and Deborah Starnes (James) of Frisco, Texas, grandchildren Samantha, Rebecca, Kelly, James, Jonathan, Justin and siblings Ann Polivka (Tom) of Smithtown, NY., and Lawrence Wald (Doris) of Oberlin, OH., Friends may call from 6-8 P.M., Friday, October 21, 2011 at the KRAEER MASON FUNERAL HOME 6701 W. Commercial Blvd., Tamarac, Florida. Funeral Services will be held 2:00 P.M., Saturday, October 22, 2011 at St. Mary Magdalene Episcopal Church, 1400 Riverside Drive, Coral Springs, Florida. A Memorial Service prior to interment will be at Sunset Memorial Chapel, North Olmsted, Ohio. In lieu of flowers family requests contributions be made to St. Mary Magdalene Episcopal Church or Hospice by the Sea Care Center, 1531 W. Palmetto Park Rd., Boca Raton, Florida 33486 in his memory.