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| Eugene 'Chip' Schram III
The son of Eugene Charles Schram Jr. and Grace Carrington Schram, Chip was born on Feb. 2, 1943, in Pittsburgh, Pa. He grew up in Winter Park, Fla., where he attended Winter Park High School and graduated in the class of 1961. He was active in many extra-curricular activities, including Boy Scouts. He attained the rank of Eagle Scout, and he modeled his life on the scouting precepts of duty to God and country, service to others, and keeping physically strong, mentally awake, and morally straight. Chip enlisted in the U. S. Air Force in 1961, and during his 30-year career he served at Barksdale Air Force Base in Shreveport, La.; Wake Island; Southeast Asia; MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Fla.; Ent Air Force Base in Colorado Springs; Roswell International Airport in Roswell, N.M.; Carswell Air Force Base in Fort Worth, Texas; Air Forces Iceland in Keflavik, Iceland; Langley Air Force Base in Hampton; Fort Belvoir in Fairfax County; Randolph Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas; and Allied Forces South in Naples, Italy. In 1971, he married Judy Griffin, and he earned a BS
degree from the University of Tampa and later a Master of Public Administration
degree from Texas Christian University. He attained the rank of major
as a Security Forces officer, having commanded several units, the largest
of which was 880 strong. He became more active in scouting, volunteering in many significant ways, including as district chairman for the Southern District, Stonewall Area Council of the Boy Scouts of America (BSA). He was employed for several years by the BSA as the district executive for Bath, Allegany and Rockbridge County. He was inducted into the Vigil Honor Order of the Arrow, and he received the Silver Beaver Award in 2017. Chip is survived by his wife of 46 years, Judy Griffin Schram; his two sons, Charles Michael Schram and wife Brandy, of Coconut Creek, Fla., and Mark Peter Schram and wife LeAnne of Dripping Springs, Texas; four grandchildren, Bethany and Kenyon Schram, and Lauren and Marshal Schram; sister Gretchen Schram Beck and her husband Jeff of Elgin, Illinois; nieces Carrington Abernathy and Whitney Beck; goddaughter Cary Hastings and her brother Lee Stuart Hastings; godson Giles Cabe; and countless friends and acquaintances. It is true that Chip never met a stranger. A memorial service in celebration of Chip’s life will take place at Grace Episcopal Church at 2 p.m. on Friday, March 2, with a reception to follow in the parish hall. Interment will be at Arlington National Cemetery at a later date. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorial contributions to Boy Scouts of America, Southern District, Stonewall Jackson Area Council, 801 Hopeman Parkway, Waynesboro, VA 22980;or Rockbridge Area Hospice, 315 Myers St., Lexington, VA 24450; or Grace Episcopal Church, 123 W. Washington St., Lexington, VA 24450. Arrangements are being handled by Harrison Funeral
Home and Crematory. Written by Jerry E. Clark: (2/27/22018) Maybe the fact that I've either written or published
more than 15,000 obituaries now, the process is beginning to bother
me. And so it is that the recent death of Chip Schram of Lexington falls
into the category of "we've just lost one heck of a great man."
The well-known Boy Scout leader was a seasoned Air Force veteran, patriot
and was possessed of a wonderful common sense attitude. We need such
men in our lives and in our communities. My sincere condolences to his
family. He touched all our lives with a gentility, a sense of fairness
and competence. We shall miss him a great deal.
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Eugene
Charles “Chip” Schram III died peacefully at his home on
Friday, Feb. 23, 2018.