Rev. George Henry Schultz Sr.

ROCK HILL - The Rev. George Henry Schultz Sr., 86, died on Thursday, March 29, 2012, at Piedmont Medical Center in Rock Hill, S.C. He was born April 5, 1925, in Philadelphia, Pa., to the late George and Leslie Magruder Schultz.

A celebration of his life will be held at 11 a.m. on Monday, April 2, at Trinity Bible Church in Rock Hill. The Rev. Matthew James will officiate, assisted by Dr. George Murray, Dr. Paul Downey, the Rev. Fleet Kirkpatrick and the Rev. Bill Harding III. Interment with full military honors will follow at Forest Hills Cemetery in Rock Hill.

During high school he gave his heart and soul to the Lord Jesus. Upon graduation from Upper Darby Senior High School in Pennsylvania, George enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Force and served as a navigator and radar bombardier on a B29 in the Pacific Theater of Operation in the Second World War. He had the rank of 1st Lieutenant in the 16th Bomb Squadron, 16th Bomb Group, 315th Bomb Wing. During his military service, he felt God's call into full-time Christian ministry.

Upon returning home, he married his high school sweetheart, Dorothy Veronica Weng. He attended Wheaton College and graduated magna cum laude in 1950. He then attended Faith Theological Seminary in Elkins Park, Pa., and graduated in 1953 with a Master of Divinity degree. He was ordained into the gospel ministry at Aldan Union Church in Aldan, Pa., in 1953.

He served as pastor of the Community Church in Fontana Village, N.C., for two years and of Trinity Bible Church in Rock Hill for over 43 years. He served on the board of Charlotte Christian High School. Because of his vision and passion for Christian education, he founded Trinity Christian School in 1968 and served as its superintendent until 1999. He was a founding member of the Palmetto Pregnancy Center in 1983 and served on its board for 27 years.

He was the author of several books and pamphlets and was a talented musician. He was known for his unique piano rendition of “Onward Christian Soldiers.”

The Rev. Schultz and his wife, Dorothy, are both survived by their three children, Holly Schultz Green and her husband, Ronny, William (Bill) Dean and his wife, Lois, and George Henry Jr. and his wife, Kathy, of Rutherfordton, N.C. They were blessed with eight grandchildren, Jacqueline Kuhn Sherer, Jennifer Kuhn Smith, Melissa Schultz Thurman, Christina Schultz Areheart, Aimee Schultz, Kate Schultz Colon (deceased), Nathan Schultz and Beth Schultz Sprouse; and nine great-grandchildren. George and Dorothy served the Lord together for 42 years until Dorothy went to be with her Lord. The Rev. Schultz is also survived by his sister, Dorothy Schultz Perry, and two nieces, Donna Perry Schneider and Robin Perry-Rosser.

In 1992 God blessed George with a new companion and help-mate. He and Laura McNeely were married in April 1992. Together they also loved and encouraged her children, John McNeely and Steve McNeely and wife, Martha, of Kingsport, Tenn., and Laura's three grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.

Pastor Schultz was known as a kind, compassionate, humorous and gentle man who had the gifts of evangelism and teaching, which he lovingly gave to literally thousands of people. His vision and passion for ministry and missions were his life's focus and under his ministry, many were called into Christian service as ministers and missionaries. He loved Jesus with all his heart and actively worked to see His Name declared among all peoples of the earth.

Pastor Schultz was a great Christian leader but another great contribution was to his family, serving faithfully as a wonderful husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather. His public and family life was a direct reflection of his private walk with God. His lifelong reflection of his Savior will serve as a legacy for all who knew him and for generations to come.

The family will receive friends from 4 to 7 p.m. on Sunday, April 1, at Greene Funeral Home Northwest Chapel, 2133 Ebenezer Road in Rock Hill.

Memorial donations may be made to the Trinity Bible Church Mission Fund, 914 Cherry Rd., Rock Hill, SC 29732 or the Palmetto Pregnancy Center, 828 Lucas St., Rock Hill, SC 29730.