George Oechsle, Jr

George Albert Oechsle, Jr.

Beloved father, husband, business and community leader, friend and mentor George A. Oechsle, Jr., of Ocean Reef, Key Largo, Florida and Kennebunk Beach, Maine, passed away after a brief illness on December 15, 2012. He was 89 years old. George was a past resident of Pearl River, NY, Elkhart, IN, Flintridge, CA, and New Canaan, CT.



George is predeceased by his parents, George and Florence, his three sisters Mildred, Mollie and Lillian, his first wife Jane and second wife Lori. He is survived by his children: Anne (Tom) Cutler of Elkhart, IN, Nancy (Jack) Starmer of Newtown PA, Cathy (Eric) Harvey of N. Ridgeville, OH, G. Russell (Janet) Oechsle of Homer, NY, Lee (Tessie) Oechsle of Avon Lake, OH, Jane (Karl) Polzer of Falls Church VA, Doreen Oechsle of Liverpool, NY, and Randy and John Oechsle of Garden Grove, CA, and by his loving and beloved companion, Adelaide Schultze, of Key Largo, FL and Rehoboth Beach, DE.



George was a native of Philadelphia, PA where he graduated from Frankford High School before entering the Syracuse University College of Forestry Pulp and Paper Manufacturing Program in 1939. At Syracuse, George was a three-year starter and letter winner for the Syracuse University Soccer Team, and was elected Captain twice, both before and after enlisting and serving in the Army Air Force for three years between his Junior and Senior years. In the Army Air Force, George served as 1st Lt. and Air Inspector for the 57th Army in North Africa and the Middle East.



George had a distinguished career in the pulp & paper industry, where he rose to the position of National General Manager of the Folding Carton Division of the Continental Can Co. before forming the Newark Group with partner and Syracuse classmate Edward Mullen in 1971. Before his retirement in 1991, the firm was the largest privately held recycled paper company in the U.S., with plants in the U.S., Caribbean and Europe.



Following his retirement, George spent winters at his residence in Key Largo, FL, and summers at his home in Kennebunk Beach, ME., where he was active in numerous social and philanthropic activities.



Among George’s proudest moments was his naming as a “Letter Winner of Distinction” by the Syracuse University Varsity Club in ceremonies held in October, 2012, the Athletic Department’s highest achievement award for student athletes who distinguish themselves as leaders in their professions and in community service. The award ceremony was attended by 28 proud members of George’s extended family.



In life and in business, George A. Oechsle was a “doer,” a man of great vision and achievement, but a man who bore it all with great humility. His joy for life was contagious, and it was always remarkable how so many of his acquaintances considered him to be their best friend. George was always so grateful for the life he had, and was fond of saying that he was the luckiest man in the world. He was a father of nine children and a teacher and mentor to all, a leader in the business world and in civic affairs, and an inspiration from his first to his very last days to all who knew and loved him.



George asked that those interested in making contributions in his name consider doing so to the scholarship he endowed at the (now) State University of New York School of Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF). Contributions should be addressed to the Syracuse Pulp & Paper Foundation (SPPF), George A. Oechsle Scholarship Fund, SUNY ESF, 1 Forestry Dr., Syracuse, NY 13210-2778.



A Celebration of George’s Life will be held on Sunday, January 20, 2013 from 1-4 p.m. at the Angler’s Club, North Key Largo, FL. All those who loved and cherished George are invited to attend. For information, please contact the Club.

---