David Edward Schoumacher

David was an Emmy award-winning journalist who covered a broad range of topics, including presidential campaigns, Congress, the NASA space program, the Civil Rights movement, the Vietnam War and Watergate. He started his career in radio during college, and later in Columbus, Ohio. He moved into local broadcast journalism in Rockford, Illinois, followed by Sioux City, Iowa, and then Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. From there he moved to Virginia as a correspondent for CBS Evening News with Walter Cronkite in November 1963. The assassination of President John F. Kennedy was his first assignment at CBS. He later worked as a correspondent for ABC News and ended his journalism career as the evening news anchor for WJLA-TV in Washington, D.C.

After graduating with a master’s in journalism from Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, David served in the Air Force and Air Force Reserve, flying tankers and tactical bombers until his honorable discharge in 1969. He continued piloting small aircraft for many years and also had a great love for sailing. He spent countless hours on the Chesapeake Bay on his boat, Dulcinea.

In retirement, David owned and managed several radio stations, including WGMD in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. He was passionate about developing a herd of Ruby Red Devon cattle with prize-winning centuries-old English genetics at Thistle Hill Farm, where he lived with his late wife, Elizabeth "Wooz" Matthews, in Hume, Virginia. He was on the board of directors for the North American Devon Association and made wonderful friends nationally and internationally through his work promoting the breed.

David is also preceded in death by his wife Leonie Marcel Schoumacher, who introduced him to farming and the Virginia countryside.

David is survived by his four children with his first wife, Sharon Schoumacher. They are Robert Schoumacher (Becky), Linda Rozett (Bill), Karen Gentry (Marshall), and Janet Hedrick (Paul). He was the proud grandfather of 12 grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren. He is also survived by his late wife Wooz Matthews’ two children: Carolyn Matthews (Curt Humphreys) and their two children and Church Matthews. David partnered with the Matthews family in Thistle Hill Devon Cattle operations and they were a loving, second family to him. David is also survived by his younger brother Bruce Schoumacher (Alicia) and his nieces and grandnieces.

The visitation will be held at Murphy’s Funeral Home, 4510 Wilson Blvd., Arlington, Virginia on Sunday, April 9 from 3:00 to 6:00 p.m. A Funeral Service will be held later at Leeds Episcopal Church in Hume, Virginia.

David Schoumacher will always be remembered for his dedication to journalism, his love of sailing, and his passion for Devon cattle breeding. He avidly followed the news and enjoyed discussing current events and politics to the end. He will be deeply missed by all who knew him.