GREGORY SCHRAMM

GREGORY SCHRAMM Obituary COLUMBUS GROVE — Gregory Paul Schramm, 58, of Newport Beach, Calif., formerly of Columbus Grove, died at 7:20 a.m. Oct. 24, 2012, at his residence. He was born Nov. 29, 1953, in Lima to Arthur Schramm and Gladys Schumaker Reese. His father survives in Lima. His mother and stepfather, Gary Reese, survive in Elida. On April 14, 2000, he married Kimberly Sitton, who survives. Greg was a 1972 graduate of Columbus Grove High School. He spent 11 years in the United States Navy, where he achieved the rank of chief petty officer. He served aboard the USS Fox and was stationed in the Persian Gulf, Iceland and Italy. He was responsible for maintaining the ship’s communication and navigation equipment and also served as the ship’s photographer. He finished the last year of his enlistment at the NATO Communications Depot in Yorktown, Va. During his time in the Navy, he earned his bachelor’s degree in electronics engineering from North Carolina State University and a second undergraduate degree in applied physics from Christopher Newport University, Newport News, Va. He later completed courses in digital signal processing and probability and stochastics at the University of Texas-Dallas. He had a 35 year career in electronics engineering, including work with industry leaders Texas Instruments, Microtune, Broadcom and RFMicroDevices. He was employed as an applications engineering manager with Wispry Inc., Irvine, Calif., at the time of his death. He was a member of the IEEE Engineering Society for many years. He also served as a mentor for many engineering interns. Greg was a connoisseur of language, music, art and travel. He was life-long scholar and an avid reader. He spoke fluent French and German. He had traveled to Thailand, France, Germany, Spain, Japan, Switzerland, China, the Caribbean and many other countries. He had visited all but three of the fifty states. He loved music and playing the guitar. The family had fond memories of him and his father playing guitar duos and he formed a bluegrass band while in the Navy. Greg was an accomplished artist and did many oil paintings earlier in his life. He was in the process of writing a mystery novel. His other hobbies included woodworking, photography and playing tennis. He was intrigued with new electronics and gadgets, and always kept up with the latest technology. He and his wife, Kimberly, loved Boxer dogs, and had their beloved Boxer, Gigi for many years. They also helped with the Foster-A-Dog Program. His favorite pastime was sailing the Pacific Ocean with his wife. They sailed to Catalina Island and other beautiful destinations along the California coast. They were members of the South Shore Yacht Club. Greg was always supportive of his family and friends, even though he lived far from his Ohio hometown. In a letter to his family many years ago while in the Navy, he wrote, “No matter where I am in this world, I will always know where my home is.” He was an inquisitive, intelligent person who savored good conversations, and loved a good challenge. Greg will be remembered for his many talents and accomplishments, a kind and generous spirit and his beautiful smile. He will be deeply missed by his family, friends and all who knew him. Survivors also include a son, Michael (fiancée Alyssa Halle) Schramm, of Newark, Del.; three brothers, George (Kathy) Schramm, of Columbus Grove, Steve Schramm, of Bluffton, and Chuck Schramm, of Lima; four sisters, Gloria Miller, of Columbus Grove, Sandra DeVoe, of Rockford, Ill., Brenda (Gary) Steiner, of Bluffton, and Mary Lynne (Bob) Dawson, of Lima; a stepbrother, Mike (Laura) Reese, of Elida; and three nephews and 15 nieces. He was preceded in death by maternal grandparents, Herb and Alice Hovest Schumaker; paternal grandparents, William and Agnus Dickman Schramm; a brother-in-law, Terry Miller; a sister-in-law, Nancy McCafferty Schramm; several aunts and uncles; and his beloved dog, Gigi. Services will begin at 3:30 p.m. Thursday at Hartman Sons Funeral Home, Columbus Grove. Father Tom Extejt will officiate. The cremains will be scattered at sea with military rites. Friends may call from 1 p.m. until time of services Thursday at the funeral home. Memorial contributions may be made to IEEE Society for Educational Scholarships, or the American Diabetic Association. Condolences may be expressed at hartmansonsfuneralhome.com. To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of GREGORY SCHRAMM, please visit our floral store. Read More

GREGORY SCHRAMM

November 29, 1953 - October 24, 2012