George C. Schroeder, Jr., 66, of Vero Beach, passed away peacefully at home on Nov. 5, 2014, after a battle with cancer.
He is survived by his wife of 32 years, Debra; son and daughter-in-law Daniel and Kristin; grand-daughter Annabelle Kate; sisters and brother Jayne (Don) Rank, Fran Harper, and Joe Schroeder; five cousins; mother-in-law Barbara Daniels; sisters-and brothers-in law Nancy (Doug) Jewett, Chris (Deanna) Daniels, and Tom (Darlene) Daniels; 12 nieces and nephews; and 16 great-nieces and nephews, with two more due in January and March 2015.
Schroeder was preceded in death by his father George Colton Schroeder, Sr.; his mother Jayne Walton Schroeder; and his in-laws Jack and Lavonne Daniels.
Schroeder was born in Daytona Beach and grew up in Cocoa Beach, graduating from Cocoa Beach High School where he was awarded the Christian Character Award for the Class of 1966. He was an Eagle Scout.
He attended Georgia Tech and served in the U.S. Navy. After an Honorable Discharge, he returned to college and graduated from The Evergreen State College in Olympia, Wash., and did post-graduate work at Western Washington University in Bellingham, Wash.
He worked as a secondary social studies teacher before embarking on a 35 year career as a financial planner.
Returning to Florida in 1990, Schroeder settled in Vero Beach and made it his home.
Active in Rotary Club of Vero Beach Sunrise, he served on the planning committees for the Centennial Fountain at Pocahantas Park, BrewFest, and the Haitian Water Project. He served as President in 2002-2003 and spent many years on the Board of Directors.
He was an ardent supporter of education and the arts, as well as several start-up businesses in Vero Beach.
He was a member of Vero Beach Country Club and First United Methodist Church in Vero Beach.
Hobbies included golfing and fishing, and he was a sports-car enthusiast.
In lieu of flowers, gifts may be made to Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in memory of George Schroeder to support glioblastoma research at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, P.O. Box 849168, Boston, MA 02284 or via www.dana-farber.org/gift.
A service will be held at 4 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 14, at First United Methodist Church, 1750 20th Street, Vero Beach, FL 32960. A reception for family and friends will follow the service in the Christian Life Center at the church.