George H. Scheper

COVINGTON - George Herman Scheper, the former president of Cincinnati-based DuBois Chemical, was a leader and family man whose decisions were guided by his faith and care for others.

"He was very committed to helping people. He served on many boards of the diocese and when he served he participated. He wasn't a rubber stamp of any kind." said Retired Bishop of Covington the Most Reverend William Anthony Hughes.

Mr. Scheper died Tuesday in Covington from complications of pneumonia. He was 91.

"He always came to the meetings well prepared and with the courage of his convictions," said his friend Mike Hammons of Park Hills. "If he had questions about a budget or policy, he concentrated, studied and got to the bottom of it to find the answers. He challenged people's thinking and he followed through when it was the right thing to do."

Mr. Scheper was born and raised in Covington. He was one of six children of Gertrude and George Henry Scheper.

He graduated at the age of 15 from St. Benedict Commercial High School in Covington. He met his future wife Rita Zimmer at the school when they starred in the school play, a production of "The Bells of St. Mary's."

He started his career at 15, as an office boy, earning $8 a week at Stewart Iron Works in Covington. After about a year, he moved to the Andrew Jergens Co. in Cincinnati.

On Nov. 21, 1941, he and Rita married. It was Thanksgiving Day that year. The couple coined the day, "Franksgiving," because that was the only year, by proclamation of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, the holiday was celebrated earlier in the month. The wedding also took place just two weeks prior to the attack on Pearl Harbor, which sent Mr. Scheper to serve in the Army during World War II.

He joined DuBois Chemical in 1952. It was a small firm at the time. When he retired after 30 years, he was president and the company had grown to employ more than 4,000 people in 10 countries.

Mr. Scheper was one of the first lay persons to serve on the board of the Diocese of Covington and Villa Madonna College. He was instrumental in overseeing the college's move from Covington to Crestview Hills as it transitioned to become Thomas More College. In 2003, Mr. Scheper received the Bishop Hughes Award, which honors those who have made substantial contributions to Catholic higher education.

"It was remarkable to me when I was growing up that he had such an important and challenging job, in terms of leadership, but he was virtually always home for dinner," said his son, Chuck Scheper, the current mayor of Covington. "He truly was able to maintain a sense of balance between family and his business. He was very much a Christian and lived a Christian life. He was a great example, not only as a father, but as a man."

His wife died previously, as well as an infant son, Joseph Scheper.

Besides his son, Chuck, survivors include his daughters, Anita Stautberg, Sylvia Thiel, Kathy Henry, Rosemary Mullen and Jane Grosser; sons, Tom, Paul and Jim Scheper; sister, Mary Schimpf; brother, Fred Scheper; 38 grandchildren; and 41 great grandchildren.

Services have taken place. Entombment is in Mother of God Cemetery Mausoleum. Middendorf Funeral Home, Fort Wright, handled arrangements.

Memorials: Be Concerned, 714 Washington St., Covington, KY 41011, or St. Charles Care Center, 500 Farrell Drive, Covington, KY 41011 or Thomas More College Chapel Fund, Institutional Development, 333 Thomas More Parkway, Crestview Hills, KY 41017.

Online condolences to: www.middendorf-funeralhome.com.