Schmitt, George F., age 85 of Washington Township, passed away peacefully on Monday, April 28, 2025 at Fairmont Senior Living. Born on November 3, 1939 in Louisville to the late George F. and Jane Schmitt Sr, he is survived by his wife Ann, his two sons Galen and Brandon, their wives Sabrina and Rachel, 3 Grandchildren (Sophia, Avery and Liam), his brothers Bill and Carl and their families and many friends and colleagues.

George served in the United States Air Force, and was honorably discharged from the USAF Research and Development Division. A true academic, George was a graduate of the University of Louisville (B.S. Chemical Engineering and M.S. Chemical Engineering), The Ohio State University Graduate School (M.S. Business Administration) and Extended Training Program, Air War College.

From an early age, George knew he wanted to follow in his father’s footsteps to be an Engineer, and he grew to be an accomplished and acclaimed professional. His career with the United States Air Force Research Laboratory Materials Directorate spanned over 60 years, took him all over the globe, and was decorated with such awards as the Meritorious Civilian Service Award, Federal Professional Employee of the Year and a Lifetime Achievement Award from SAMPE, where he served as International President.

His career included:

63-66: Materials Laboratory – Lieutenant, USAF, In-house Research on High Temperature Polymeric Coatings.

65-81: Materials Laboratory – Materials Engineer for Erosion Resistant Materials, Materials Division and Mechanisms Research

81-83: Materials Laboratory – Materials Research Engineer & Group Leader Protective Coatings, Nonstructural Materials Branch

83-86: Materials Laboratory – Technical Area Manager, Exploratory Division of Sensor Protection Materials, Laser Hardening Branch

86-90: Materials Laboratory – Space Survivability Program Manager & Technical area Manager, Laser Hardening Branch

90: Materials Laboratory – Chief, Plans and Programs Branch

90-?: Materials Directorate – Assistant Chief Nonmetallic Materials Division.

In later years he worked supporting Foreign Technology Information and Various Support Efforts to the Materials and Manufacturing Technology Laboratory.

His published research led to global innovations in materials science, and he felt privileged to review scholarship applications for younger graduate students and researchers, and guest lecture at Catholic University, University of Michigan and UD.

George was a devoted member of Epiphany Lutheran Church in Centerville and Dayton, where he loved the fellowship, sang every Sunday in the church choir and regularly attended Sunday school and cherished the soup dinners.

George was an artist and craftsman who enjoyed woodworking at the family summer camp and needlepoint year-round. He also loved working in the yard, planting flowers and battling dandelions. His true passion was music and for decades he reveled playing his clarinet in the July 4th parade and community concerts with the Kettering Civic Band and Dayton Philharmonic, Windjammers Circus Music Preservation Society and the letter carrier’s band. At Christmas for many years, George loved donning the red suit and beard for SICSA’s annual fundraising pet photo shoot with Santa.

George was a kind faithful and generous man who walked humbly with a big brain and big heart and did good in the world, and he will be dearly missed.