George Wayne Skladal Sr.

George was born on April 25, 1933, at Ft William McKinley, Philippine Islands. His father was an Army Officer, Lt. Colonel, in the Philippine Scouts, a branch of the US Military. In about 1939 the family moved to Woburn, Massachusetts, where they resided until George was in high school. The family relocated again to San Antonio, Texas, where George was enrolled in the Texas Military Institute. George became president of his class and graduated as valedictorian. Failing the eye test for West Point where he had a commission to attend, he enrolled in the Cadet Corp at Texas A & M in 1950. Four years after graduation, with a degree in civil engineering, he worked for a summer with the Texas Highway Department in Floresville, Texas. Then he headed to Ft Bragg, North Carolina, as a 2nd Lieutenant. There he joined the 82nd Airborne and jumped out of ”perfectly good airplanes.” After that assignment he went to Ranger School from which he also graduated. In the spring of 1956, he met his future wife at Randolph Women’s College. They were married December 26,1956. While his wife finished college at Sweet Briar College, George was sent to Camp Zama, Japan, in June of 1957, to be a general’s aide to General Broom. In the spring of 1959, he was assigned to Ft. Benning, Georgia, where he ran the commissary. About 1962, George served in Korea for one year. 1963 brought him to Ft Lee, Virginia, to teach in the Quartermaster School there. During that time, he attended the General Staff College at Ft. Leavenworth, Kansas. His new assignment was Lawrence, Kansas, where he attended the University of Kansas earning a Master’s Degree in Petroleum Management. From there it was off to Alaska to join the Joint Staff at Elmendorf AFB, Anchorage, Alaska. His first assignment was the Fairbanks flood for which he received a commendation award. During this time, he earned a master’s in public administration from the University of Alaska. He served in Vietnam and received the Bronze Star. After retiring from the Army, with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel, George went to law school at St. Mary’s University in San Antonio, Texas. Following his military service George continued his work in the petroleum industry serving as Executive Director and legal counsel staff for the Alaska Pipeline Commission. He later served as deputy director of the Alaska Division of Energy and Power Development where he was involved in numerous impact studies on conservation and alternative energy sources. Committed to serving the Anchorage community, George has held seats on numerous boards and councils serving as president of the Tudor Area Community Council and the Anchorage Inn of Court and was a 33-year volunteer on the TOEM (Terminal Operations and Environmental Monitoring) Committee, which is one of 5 technical committees for the Prince William Sound Regional Citizen’s Advisory Council on which he served until his death. He was a member of the UAA Engineering Board as well as being a member of the Planning Committee for the Arctic Winter Games in Anchorage. He was a volunteer at the Anchorage Public Library’s annual book sale. George practiced law for over 34 years and shared legal expertise through numerous educational avenues. He participated as a judge on the high school moot court competitions and taught elementary school students about constitutional law and trial advocacy. In 2008, he taught at the UAA Student Constitutional Convention.He had a publication: “The Coastal Boundaries of Naval Petroleum Reserve No 4” Alaska Sea Grant Report Number 73-12 University of Alaska Sea Grant Program May 1974. In addition, George became an accomplished artist. He enjoyed creating whimsical clay sculptures and eventually found his love in watercolor. He achieved several awards for his art endeavors. He is survived by his wife, Elizabeth Skladal, son Wayne Skladal and granddaughters Leah and Lauren Skladal. Son and daughter-in-law Joseph and Leah Skladal and grandchildren Samantha Skladal, Jessica Skladal and Christopher Skladal. He was preceded in death by Linda Skladal, wife of Wayne Skladal. Graveside services will be held at 1:00 pm on Tuesday, July 23, 2024 at the Mausoleum Chapel at Fort Hill Memorial Park.