George Christian Schempp III

Schempp, George Christian III

Lantana, FL: George Christian Schempp III of Lantana, FL died on September 25, 2011, one day before his 95th birthday. George was the 3rd of 4 children of the late George C. Schempp Jr. and Beatrice George Schempp of Camilla, GA. He grew up in Ithaca, NY where he was active in scouting, becoming an Eagle Scout at age 16. He attended Cornell University where he was a member of the Marching Band and Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity. He joined the Prudential Insurance Co. in Ithaca in 1939, becoming Manager of the Syracuse District Office in 1959 and earned his CLU degree at Syracuse University in 1960. In 1962 he became General Agent for the Farmers & Traders Insurance Co. in Syracuse, and in 1966 moved back to Ithaca where he was a partner in the Weaver, Schempp & McNeill Insurance Agency, retiring in 1976. George served in Europe during WWII for 26 combat missions as a B-17 navigator in the U.S. Army Air Force. He and his wife Libby (a WWII Army Nurse) retired to the Melbourne, Florida area about 35 years ago. George was an officer of many organizations in New York, for example: the Ithaca CLU Association, Insurance Agents' Association of Tompkins County, Tompkins County Genealogy Assoc. and the Ithaca Lions Club. In Florida he was an officer of The Brevard Co. AARP, the Brevard Sons of the American Revolution, the Society of the Old Plymouth Colony, the Founders & Patriots of America, and others. He has written two genealogical books on his family, doing research on ancestors in both Europe and North America. He was predeceased by his wife, Elizabeth Finch Schempp in 2008; and his sons, George C. Schempp IV in 1993 and William A. Schempp in February 2011. Survivors include a daughter, Charlotte S. Day (DE); four grandchildren, Robert S. Day (DE), Natalie E. Schempp (FL), Leslie S. Claro (FL), and Jeffrey A. Schempp (FL); two great-granddaughters, Melissa C. Day (PA) and Gianna M. Claro (FL); and a great-grandson, Steven J. Day (DE). He is also survived by a sister, Lucy S. Jacoby, in Middleville, MI. A Memorial Service will be held at Davie, FL (the Chapel of St. Bonaventure Catholic Church, 1301 SW 130th Ave.) at 11 a.m. on September 30. Interment will be at East Lawn Cemetery, Ithaca, NY, at a later date. In lieu of flowers, please donate to the Episcopal Church, of which George was lifetime member.