James William Schubauer

1934 - 2023

Schubauer - James William of Huntington, NY, passed away on May 3rd, 2023. Born March 15, 1934, Jim grew up with Barbara (Mesco) Schubauer, his wife of 66 years, in Rahway, New Jersey, where he was a decorated athlete as a basketball and baseball player and a boxer. Both Jim and Barbara graduated from Rahway High School in 1952. Jim went on to attend Bucknell University and graduated in 1956 with high honors and a degree in Civil Engineering. While at Bucknell, Jim was a member of ROTC as well as being elected to Tau Beta Pi, the National Engineering Honor Society and Pi Mu Epsilon, the Mathematics Honor Society. Upon his graduation from Bucknell, Jim and Barbara were married in June 1956 in Rahway. Jim then joined Stone & Webster Engineering Corporation in Boston, working as a project engineer. Subsequently, he served as a First Lieutenant in the US Army Corps of Engineers Reserve. In 1959, Jim received his MBA from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor where Gretchen, the first of his three children was born. Upon graduation, Jim moved his young family to Long Island, where daughter Kirsten and son James William II were born. That same year, Jim joined a small, regional general contractor, Schumacher & Forelle, based in Great Neck. Named CEO in 1974, Jim led the transformation of the company to an international leader in the design and construction of corporate manufacturing facilities. Under Jim's leadership, Schumacher & Forelle became particularly well-known and respected for their work throughout in mid-west of the United States and Central America. Jim retired in 1992 and turned his attention and energy to philanthropy. He served as the Clerk of Session of Old First Presbyterian Church in Huntington, New York, as well as the Church's Treasurer. He was also a Board Member of the Heckscher Museum of Art and of St. Johnland Nursing Home. Jim was a Village Trustee of Lloyd Harbor. Having been elected to Bucknell's Board of Trustees in 1989, Jim served as Chair of the Board from 1996 â€" 2001, whereupon he was elected Chair Emeritus. Jim also joined the Board of the Tanzanian Children's Fund, where he and Barbara had served extensively as volunteers at the Rift Valley Children's Village. Traveling repeatedly to Tanzania and Kenya became his focus and passion and Jim was elected as the Tanzanian Children's Fund's first Emeritus Trustee. Jim is survived by his wife, Barbara M. Schubauer; predeceased by his only sibling Joann Kopatz;, and survived by his three children: Gretchen Ann Schubauer; Kirsten Schubauer Heinemann; and James William Schubauer II (Margaret); his six adoring grandchildren: Andrew French Heinemann (Rebecca); Katharine Schubauer Brooke (George IV); Erik Leister Heinemann; Elizabeth Atwood Hoffman (Christopher); Julia Holcomb Schubauer; and James William Schubauer III; and great-granddaughter: Summer Lily Heinemann. A memorial service will be held on Friday, May 19th at 11:00 am at St. John's Episcopal Church â€" 1670 Route 25A, Cold Spring Harbor, New York 11724. In lieu of flowers, donations can be sent in Jim's honor and memory to: The Tanzanian Children's Fund 14 Alberta Terrace, Unit 1 Cambridge, MA 01240 www.Tanzanianchildensfund.org OR: The Schubauer Family Scholarship Bucknell University Gift Processing One Dent Drive Lewisburg, PA 17837 Give.bucknell.edu