George P. Schrader

George Philip Schrader Jr. was born on November 10, 1915 in Bluefield, West Virginia. George was the oldest of four children born to George Philip Schrader and Sarah Baker (Lytton) Schrader. His father worked as a conductor for Norfolk & Western Railroad Company. George attended Beaver High School in Bluefield, WV and received advanced credits from Bluefield College. George received his Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from Virginia Polytechnic Institute as a member of the class of 1938.

George met the love of his life, Margaret Ellen Ellis, on a bus ride from Bluefield to Charleston, West Virginia on January 27, 1946. Margaret was living in Beckley at the time and was returning from her brother’s home in Welch. In the Bluefield Bus Terminal, a tall, slender, green-eyed man sat down by her and the two spent the bus ride in pleasant conversation. George and Margaret were wed at a private ceremony in Beckley, WV on December 17, 1947. Their first child, George Philip Schrader III, was born on December 26, 1948. George’s “Tiger Nan”, daughter Nancy Baker, was welcomed on February 4, 1951. John Ellis completed the family on June 9, 1956.

George lived most of his adult life in Charleston, West Virginia where he worked as an engineer for the Union Carbide Corporation. In the early 70s, George opted for the “early retirement” option during layoffs and spent the winter watching the State high school basketball tournament before moving the family to Boston, MA. In Boston, George joined Stone & Webster Engineering Corporation in 1972, where he designed water and waste water treatment systems for power stations. In 1975, Stone & Webster moved George and the family to Colorado. George spent 45 years as a civil engineer and finally retired in 1983 at the age of 68. Since December 1975, George resided in Littleton, CO – Bridger Ct., Southglenn Commons, RiverPointe, and finally at the Manor on Marston Lake.

George enjoyed life as an avid sports fan – he was a proud Virginia Tech Hokie and cheered on the Denver Broncos, Colorado Rockies, and Boston Red Sox at every chance. While living in the condo at Southglenn Commons, George would walk over to Arapahoe High School to watch the girls’ softball team practice. His support had such an impact that the team made him an honorary AHS Warrior. George supported his grandchildren by attending many of their sporting events over the years, including gymnastics, soccer, and basketball.

George had a passion for trains that lasted all his life. Some of his favorite train rides were the Georgetown Loop Railroad, the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad, and the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad. George had a wonderful tradition of setting up his model train under the Christmas tree for the grandkids to enjoy.

As a boy, George earned the rank of Life Scout with the Boy Scouts of America. He later became a Scout leader, attending Boy Scouts meetings with his sons, George III and John, who also earned his rank of Life Scout. George was very proud of his grandsons – Shawn, Patrick, Jay, and Brian – for their scouting activities. George was extremely devoted to his family and loved to spend time with his children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. He made several trips to Mississippi to visit his oldest grandsons, Philip and Dan Schrader, and their mom, Jean McAlpin, over the years and loved it when they visited him in Colorado. In addition to sporting events, George attended his grandchildren’s dance recitals, Blue & Gold banquets, awards ceremonies, graduations, choir concerts, piano recitals, and more. George was there for everything his kids and grandkids were involved in.

George was an extremely popular and involved man throughout his entire life. For as long as he could play, George was ALWAYS part of a bowling league. At one point after he retired, George was on three different bowling leagues. Those who bowled with him will recall his very unique style of delivering the ball – who ever thought a 14-pound ball should have a 3-foot arc before hitting the floor? While living at RiverPointe and Marston Manor, George spent time playing bridge, pinochle, bingo, and more with other residents. At the age of 94, George took up Spanish. His friends at Marston referred to him as “Jorge Phillipe.”

George had many hobbies to keep him busy outside of his full social schedule. Calligraphy was a long-time hobby that many family and friends enjoyed. George created beautiful certificates for his church, Holy Trinity, cards for his kids and grandkids, and sayings on plaques to decorate homes. George was also a collector extraordinare. He loved taking photos – especially Polaroids – of family and friends. He collected and created scrapbooks going back to the 1930s. George also created scrapbooks for his kids and all of his grandkids with photos and momentos. In addition to his photographs, George collected coins and stamps over the years – something his wife Margaret had been doing since she was a girl. Recently, George donated his collections to his alma mater, Virginia Tech. George wasn’t shy about his crushes on Marilyn Monroe and Julia Roberts. George’s collection of pinup girls went back many years and was full of Marilyn. George loved to watch movies. Old movies, especially westerns, were his favorite, but he would always make time to watch anything with Julia Roberts!

George had a wonderful personality and maintained his sense of humor to the end. George’s standard response to someone asking “How are you?” was “Mean as ever,” accompanied by his classic smirk.

George is survived by his son & daughter, John Schrader & Nancy Cameron, of Denver, and his sisters, Mary Carasello and Margaret Henderson, both of Tampa, FL. He was preceded in death by his wife, Margaret and brother, Luther.

George delighted in his twelve (12) grandchildren and twenty-two (22) great-grandchildren.