JOURNEY'S END FOR A LIFE WELL LIVED
Jerry Schad (also known as Gerald Schad) was an American educator and nonfiction writer, who had extensively documented local hiking trails in San Diego, Orange County and Southern California.
His book Afoot & Afield in San Diego County is widely considered the local bible of hiking.
The Jerry Schad Observatory was dedicated by San Diego Mesa College on the rooftop of the Math and Science building of the community college. Jerry Schad Memorial Trail was dedicated at Balboa Park in honor of him.
____________________________
Jerry Schad, the seasoned hiker who trail-blazed San Diego County and fostered a broader appreciation of the outdoors through his popular books and photographs, died early Thursday.
He was 61.
He was diagnosed in March with final-stage kidney cancer and spent his last months in the care of his wife, Peg Reiter, in their downtown San Diego condominium. They got married shortly after the diagnosis.
"I am beyond heartbroken," she wrote in an email following his death.
Mr. Schad, a former East County resident, was the author of 16 books, including "Afoot & Afield in San Diego County," widely considered the bible of local hiking. He also wrote an outdoors column for the San Diego Reader.
Twenty-five years after its initial publication, "Afoot" remains a favorite among both day-trippers and serious hikers for its exhaustive walk-throughs of hundreds of trails, from the beaches to the backcountry.
Until this year, Mr. Schad's energy and the dogged pace of his exploration — on foot or on bicycle — appeared boundless.
He once bicycled 352 miles in one day and completed a 100-mile endurance run across the Sierra Nevada on another. Many weeks, he would hike at least 30 miles.
"I was just enthralled with the greater world out there," he said in a recent interview, after he had become bedridden.
He had made peace with the idea of dying and likened it to riding down a river in a kayak without a paddle. "And there's absolutely no way to claw myself back," he said.
He even penned his own obituary, here:
Gerald Schad, known by nearly all as Jerry Schad, passed away peacefully on Thursday from stage 4 kidney cancer. A fifth-generation Californian, Jerry was born and raised in San Jose, educated at U.C. Berkeley, and moved to San Diego in 1972 to enroll in a masters-degree program at San Diego State. With degree in hand, he landed a part-time position at San Diego City College in 1975, and for the next 36 years taught lower-division astronomy, physics, and physical science courses. Jerry's full-time employment at San Diego Mesa College began in 1989, and his last years there (1999 to 2011) included a continuous stint as Physical Sciences Department chair. His field astronomy course, which included evening and sometimes overnight trips to remote locales around the county, gained a reputation among students as both challenging and illuminating.
Jerry Schad's life was full of discovery and adventure, and that included such feats as bicycling 352 miles in one day, and finishing (in under 24 hours) the 100-mile-long Western States Endurance Run across the Sierra Nevada. In his early 20s Jerry's love for local exploration led to his first book titled 50 Southern California Bicycle Trips. By 2011 he had authored a total of 16 books on mostly outdoor recreation subjects, the best known of which is Afoot and Afield San Diego County, a local bestseller. Along the way, he took time from other pursuits to write and publish a college textbook titled Physical Science: A Unified Approach. His "Roam-O-Rama" column in the San Diego Reader appeared weekly since 1993.
Thousands of Jerry Schad's photographs, particularly those of an astronomical theme, have appeared in hundreds of publications worldwide.
A long-time resident of East County, Jerry decided to move to a downtown San Diego high-rise condominium in 2007. In 2010 he met the love of his life, Peg Reiter, and they married in 2011. During that time, Jerry enjoyed the happiest period of his life, sharing with Peg new social opportunities, plenty of on-foot urban explorations, plus many more outdoor adventures.
Jerry Schad is survived by his wife Peg Reiter, son Tom Schad of El Cajon, and by his mother Marion Schad of Morgan Hill, California. In addition, he is survived by three younger sisters: Leslee Schad (West Grove, Pennsylvania), Laurie Schad (Amherst, Massachusetts), and Marita Roth (Morgan Hill, California).
A memorial celebration honoring Jerry will be on Sunday, Oct. 9, at 4:00 pm at the historic El Cortez Hotel at 702 Ash Street, in downtown San Diego. Trail 43 in Balboa Park, which runs from 6th & Upas to 6th & Elm has been renamed the "Jerry Schad Memorial Trail" to commemorate where Jerry met his wife, Peg Reiter, in March 2010. Donations in Jerry's memory may be sent to: Friends of Balboa Park, 2125 Park Boulevard, San Diego, CA 92101. Funds will be used to benefit the Balboa Park Trail System in trail maintenance, improvements, maps and other forms of information dissemination. The family requests no flowers and none will be accepted.
++++++++++++++++++++++
A profile of Mr. Schad and his wife, published in The San Diego Union-Tribune, generated a huge response from readers. Many praised him for inspiring their own explorations.
Reiter, in tribute to her late husband, went on a hike near the beach on Thursday afternoon.
Gerald L. Schad was born and raised in San Jose and graduated from UC Berkeley. He moved to the San Diego area in 1972 and earned a master's degree in astronomy from San Diego State University.
He taught community college classes for 36 years in astronomy, physics and related subjects and had been, until recently, chairman of the physical sciences department at San Diego Mesa College.
He is survived by his wife, his son, Tom Schad of El Cajon, his mother, Marion Schad of Morgan Hill, and three sisters: Leslee Schad of Pennsylvania, Laurie Schad of Massachusetts and Marita Roth of Morgan Hill.
A memorial celebration will be held Oct. 9 at 4 p.m. at the El Cortez Hotel, 702 Ash St San Diego.
The family said donations in Mr. Schad's name may be made to Friends of Balboa Park, 2125 Park Blvd., San Diego, CA, 92101. The funds will be used to maintain park trails and on related efforts. The family requests that no flowers be sent.
__________________________
Peg planed to scatter Jerry's ashes in the Anza-Borrego Desert, where they once watched a meteor shower in the middle of the night.
more:
https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/sdut-journeys-end-san-diego-explorer-faces-terminal-c-2011aug10-htmlstory.html
https://www.sdmesa.edu/campus-life/galleries-and-attractions/observatory/
Jerry Schad (also known as Gerald Schad) was an American educator and nonfiction writer, who had extensively documented local hiking trails in San Diego, Orange County and Southern California.
His book Afoot & Afield in San Diego County is widely considered the local bible of hiking.
The Jerry Schad Observatory was dedicated by San Diego Mesa College on the rooftop of the Math and Science building of the community college. Jerry Schad Memorial Trail was dedicated at Balboa Park in honor of him.
____________________________
Jerry Schad, the seasoned hiker who trail-blazed San Diego County and fostered a broader appreciation of the outdoors through his popular books and photographs, died early Thursday.
He was 61.
He was diagnosed in March with final-stage kidney cancer and spent his last months in the care of his wife, Peg Reiter, in their downtown San Diego condominium. They got married shortly after the diagnosis.
"I am beyond heartbroken," she wrote in an email following his death.
Mr. Schad, a former East County resident, was the author of 16 books, including "Afoot & Afield in San Diego County," widely considered the bible of local hiking. He also wrote an outdoors column for the San Diego Reader.
Twenty-five years after its initial publication, "Afoot" remains a favorite among both day-trippers and serious hikers for its exhaustive walk-throughs of hundreds of trails, from the beaches to the backcountry.
Until this year, Mr. Schad's energy and the dogged pace of his exploration — on foot or on bicycle — appeared boundless.
He once bicycled 352 miles in one day and completed a 100-mile endurance run across the Sierra Nevada on another. Many weeks, he would hike at least 30 miles.
"I was just enthralled with the greater world out there," he said in a recent interview, after he had become bedridden.
He had made peace with the idea of dying and likened it to riding down a river in a kayak without a paddle. "And there's absolutely no way to claw myself back," he said.
He even penned his own obituary, here:
Gerald Schad, known by nearly all as Jerry Schad, passed away peacefully on Thursday from stage 4 kidney cancer. A fifth-generation Californian, Jerry was born and raised in San Jose, educated at U.C. Berkeley, and moved to San Diego in 1972 to enroll in a masters-degree program at San Diego State. With degree in hand, he landed a part-time position at San Diego City College in 1975, and for the next 36 years taught lower-division astronomy, physics, and physical science courses. Jerry's full-time employment at San Diego Mesa College began in 1989, and his last years there (1999 to 2011) included a continuous stint as Physical Sciences Department chair. His field astronomy course, which included evening and sometimes overnight trips to remote locales around the county, gained a reputation among students as both challenging and illuminating.
Jerry Schad's life was full of discovery and adventure, and that included such feats as bicycling 352 miles in one day, and finishing (in under 24 hours) the 100-mile-long Western States Endurance Run across the Sierra Nevada. In his early 20s Jerry's love for local exploration led to his first book titled 50 Southern California Bicycle Trips. By 2011 he had authored a total of 16 books on mostly outdoor recreation subjects, the best known of which is Afoot and Afield San Diego County, a local bestseller. Along the way, he took time from other pursuits to write and publish a college textbook titled Physical Science: A Unified Approach. His "Roam-O-Rama" column in the San Diego Reader appeared weekly since 1993.
Thousands of Jerry Schad's photographs, particularly those of an astronomical theme, have appeared in hundreds of publications worldwide.
A long-time resident of East County, Jerry decided to move to a downtown San Diego high-rise condominium in 2007. In 2010 he met the love of his life, Peg Reiter, and they married in 2011. During that time, Jerry enjoyed the happiest period of his life, sharing with Peg new social opportunities, plenty of on-foot urban explorations, plus many more outdoor adventures.
Jerry Schad is survived by his wife Peg Reiter, son Tom Schad of El Cajon, and by his mother Marion Schad of Morgan Hill, California. In addition, he is survived by three younger sisters: Leslee Schad (West Grove, Pennsylvania), Laurie Schad (Amherst, Massachusetts), and Marita Roth (Morgan Hill, California).
A memorial celebration honoring Jerry will be on Sunday, Oct. 9, at 4:00 pm at the historic El Cortez Hotel at 702 Ash Street, in downtown San Diego. Trail 43 in Balboa Park, which runs from 6th & Upas to 6th & Elm has been renamed the "Jerry Schad Memorial Trail" to commemorate where Jerry met his wife, Peg Reiter, in March 2010. Donations in Jerry's memory may be sent to: Friends of Balboa Park, 2125 Park Boulevard, San Diego, CA 92101. Funds will be used to benefit the Balboa Park Trail System in trail maintenance, improvements, maps and other forms of information dissemination. The family requests no flowers and none will be accepted.
++++++++++++++++++++++
A profile of Mr. Schad and his wife, published in The San Diego Union-Tribune, generated a huge response from readers. Many praised him for inspiring their own explorations.
Reiter, in tribute to her late husband, went on a hike near the beach on Thursday afternoon.
Gerald L. Schad was born and raised in San Jose and graduated from UC Berkeley. He moved to the San Diego area in 1972 and earned a master's degree in astronomy from San Diego State University.
He taught community college classes for 36 years in astronomy, physics and related subjects and had been, until recently, chairman of the physical sciences department at San Diego Mesa College.
He is survived by his wife, his son, Tom Schad of El Cajon, his mother, Marion Schad of Morgan Hill, and three sisters: Leslee Schad of Pennsylvania, Laurie Schad of Massachusetts and Marita Roth of Morgan Hill.
A memorial celebration will be held Oct. 9 at 4 p.m. at the El Cortez Hotel, 702 Ash St San Diego.
The family said donations in Mr. Schad's name may be made to Friends of Balboa Park, 2125 Park Blvd., San Diego, CA, 92101. The funds will be used to maintain park trails and on related efforts. The family requests that no flowers be sent.
__________________________
Peg planed to scatter Jerry's ashes in the Anza-Borrego Desert, where they once watched a meteor shower in the middle of the night.
more:
https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/sdut-journeys-end-san-diego-explorer-faces-terminal-c-2011aug10-htmlstory.html
https://www.sdmesa.edu/campus-life/galleries-and-attractions/observatory/
JOURNEY'S END FOR A LIFE WELL LIVED
Jerry Schad (also known as Gerald Schad) was an American educator and nonfiction writer, who had extensively documented local hiking trails in San Diego, Orange County and Southern California.
His book Afoot & Afield in San Diego County is widely considered the local bible of hiking.
The Jerry Schad Observatory was dedicated by San Diego Mesa College on the rooftop of the Math and Science building of the community college. Jerry Schad Memorial Trail was dedicated at Balboa Park in honor of him.
____________________________
Jerry Schad, the seasoned hiker who trail-blazed San Diego County and fostered a broader appreciation of the outdoors through his popular books and photographs, died early Thursday.
He was 61.
He was diagnosed in March with final-stage kidney cancer and spent his last months in the care of his wife, Peg Reiter, in their downtown San Diego condominium. They got married shortly after the diagnosis.
"I am beyond heartbroken," she wrote in an email following his death.
Mr. Schad, a former East County resident, was the author of 16 books, including "Afoot & Afield in San Diego County," widely considered the bible of local hiking. He also wrote an outdoors column for the San Diego Reader.
Twenty-five years after its initial publication, "Afoot" remains a favorite among both day-trippers and serious hikers for its exhaustive walk-throughs of hundreds of trails, from the beaches to the backcountry.
Until this year, Mr. Schad's energy and the dogged pace of his exploration — on foot or on bicycle — appeared boundless.
He once bicycled 352 miles in one day and completed a 100-mile endurance run across the Sierra Nevada on another. Many weeks, he would hike at least 30 miles.
"I was just enthralled with the greater world out there," he said in a recent interview, after he had become bedridden.
He had made peace with the idea of dying and likened it to riding down a river in a kayak without a paddle. "And there's absolutely no way to claw myself back," he said.
He even penned his own obituary, here:
Gerald Schad, known by nearly all as Jerry Schad, passed away peacefully on Thursday from stage 4 kidney cancer. A fifth-generation Californian, Jerry was born and raised in San Jose, educated at U.C. Berkeley, and moved to San Diego in 1972 to enroll in a masters-degree program at San Diego State. With degree in hand, he landed a part-time position at San Diego City College in 1975, and for the next 36 years taught lower-division astronomy, physics, and physical science courses. Jerry's full-time employment at San Diego Mesa College began in 1989, and his last years there (1999 to 2011) included a continuous stint as Physical Sciences Department chair. His field astronomy course, which included evening and sometimes overnight trips to remote locales around the county, gained a reputation among students as both challenging and illuminating.
Jerry Schad's life was full of discovery and adventure, and that included such feats as bicycling 352 miles in one day, and finishing (in under 24 hours) the 100-mile-long Western States Endurance Run across the Sierra Nevada. In his early 20s Jerry's love for local exploration led to his first book titled 50 Southern California Bicycle Trips. By 2011 he had authored a total of 16 books on mostly outdoor recreation subjects, the best known of which is Afoot and Afield San Diego County, a local bestseller. Along the way, he took time from other pursuits to write and publish a college textbook titled Physical Science: A Unified Approach. His "Roam-O-Rama" column in the San Diego Reader appeared weekly since 1993.
Thousands of Jerry Schad's photographs, particularly those of an astronomical theme, have appeared in hundreds of publications worldwide.
A long-time resident of East County, Jerry decided to move to a downtown San Diego high-rise condominium in 2007. In 2010 he met the love of his life, Peg Reiter, and they married in 2011. During that time, Jerry enjoyed the happiest period of his life, sharing with Peg new social opportunities, plenty of on-foot urban explorations, plus many more outdoor adventures.
Jerry Schad is survived by his wife Peg Reiter, son Tom Schad of El Cajon, and by his mother Marion Schad of Morgan Hill, California. In addition, he is survived by three younger sisters: Leslee Schad (West Grove, Pennsylvania), Laurie Schad (Amherst, Massachusetts), and Marita Roth (Morgan Hill, California).
A memorial celebration honoring Jerry will be on Sunday, Oct. 9, at 4:00 pm at the historic El Cortez Hotel at 702 Ash Street, in downtown San Diego. Trail 43 in Balboa Park, which runs from 6th & Upas to 6th & Elm has been renamed the "Jerry Schad Memorial Trail" to commemorate where Jerry met his wife, Peg Reiter, in March 2010. Donations in Jerry's memory may be sent to: Friends of Balboa Park, 2125 Park Boulevard, San Diego, CA 92101. Funds will be used to benefit the Balboa Park Trail System in trail maintenance, improvements, maps and other forms of information dissemination. The family requests no flowers and none will be accepted.
++++++++++++++++++++++
A profile of Mr. Schad and his wife, published in The San Diego Union-Tribune, generated a huge response from readers. Many praised him for inspiring their own explorations.
Reiter, in tribute to her late husband, went on a hike near the beach on Thursday afternoon.
Gerald L. Schad was born and raised in San Jose and graduated from UC Berkeley. He moved to the San Diego area in 1972 and earned a master's degree in astronomy from San Diego State University.
He taught community college classes for 36 years in astronomy, physics and related subjects and had been, until recently, chairman of the physical sciences department at San Diego Mesa College.
He is survived by his wife, his son, Tom Schad of El Cajon, his mother, Marion Schad of Morgan Hill, and three sisters: Leslee Schad of Pennsylvania, Laurie Schad of Massachusetts and Marita Roth of Morgan Hill.
A memorial celebration will be held Oct. 9 at 4 p.m. at the El Cortez Hotel, 702 Ash St San Diego.
The family said donations in Mr. Schad's name may be made to Friends of Balboa Park, 2125 Park Blvd., San Diego, CA, 92101. The funds will be used to maintain park trails and on related efforts. The family requests that no flowers be sent.
__________________________
Peg planed to scatter Jerry's ashes in the Anza-Borrego Desert, where they once watched a meteor shower in the middle of the night.
more:
https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/sdut-journeys-end-san-diego-explorer-faces-terminal-c-2011aug10-htmlstory.html
https://www.sdmesa.edu/campus-life/galleries-and-attractions/observatory/
Jerry Schad (also known as Gerald Schad) was an American educator and nonfiction writer, who had extensively documented local hiking trails in San Diego, Orange County and Southern California.
His book Afoot & Afield in San Diego County is widely considered the local bible of hiking.
The Jerry Schad Observatory was dedicated by San Diego Mesa College on the rooftop of the Math and Science building of the community college. Jerry Schad Memorial Trail was dedicated at Balboa Park in honor of him.
____________________________
Jerry Schad, the seasoned hiker who trail-blazed San Diego County and fostered a broader appreciation of the outdoors through his popular books and photographs, died early Thursday.
He was 61.
He was diagnosed in March with final-stage kidney cancer and spent his last months in the care of his wife, Peg Reiter, in their downtown San Diego condominium. They got married shortly after the diagnosis.
"I am beyond heartbroken," she wrote in an email following his death.
Mr. Schad, a former East County resident, was the author of 16 books, including "Afoot & Afield in San Diego County," widely considered the bible of local hiking. He also wrote an outdoors column for the San Diego Reader.
Twenty-five years after its initial publication, "Afoot" remains a favorite among both day-trippers and serious hikers for its exhaustive walk-throughs of hundreds of trails, from the beaches to the backcountry.
Until this year, Mr. Schad's energy and the dogged pace of his exploration — on foot or on bicycle — appeared boundless.
He once bicycled 352 miles in one day and completed a 100-mile endurance run across the Sierra Nevada on another. Many weeks, he would hike at least 30 miles.
"I was just enthralled with the greater world out there," he said in a recent interview, after he had become bedridden.
He had made peace with the idea of dying and likened it to riding down a river in a kayak without a paddle. "And there's absolutely no way to claw myself back," he said.
He even penned his own obituary, here:
Gerald Schad, known by nearly all as Jerry Schad, passed away peacefully on Thursday from stage 4 kidney cancer. A fifth-generation Californian, Jerry was born and raised in San Jose, educated at U.C. Berkeley, and moved to San Diego in 1972 to enroll in a masters-degree program at San Diego State. With degree in hand, he landed a part-time position at San Diego City College in 1975, and for the next 36 years taught lower-division astronomy, physics, and physical science courses. Jerry's full-time employment at San Diego Mesa College began in 1989, and his last years there (1999 to 2011) included a continuous stint as Physical Sciences Department chair. His field astronomy course, which included evening and sometimes overnight trips to remote locales around the county, gained a reputation among students as both challenging and illuminating.
Jerry Schad's life was full of discovery and adventure, and that included such feats as bicycling 352 miles in one day, and finishing (in under 24 hours) the 100-mile-long Western States Endurance Run across the Sierra Nevada. In his early 20s Jerry's love for local exploration led to his first book titled 50 Southern California Bicycle Trips. By 2011 he had authored a total of 16 books on mostly outdoor recreation subjects, the best known of which is Afoot and Afield San Diego County, a local bestseller. Along the way, he took time from other pursuits to write and publish a college textbook titled Physical Science: A Unified Approach. His "Roam-O-Rama" column in the San Diego Reader appeared weekly since 1993.
Thousands of Jerry Schad's photographs, particularly those of an astronomical theme, have appeared in hundreds of publications worldwide.
A long-time resident of East County, Jerry decided to move to a downtown San Diego high-rise condominium in 2007. In 2010 he met the love of his life, Peg Reiter, and they married in 2011. During that time, Jerry enjoyed the happiest period of his life, sharing with Peg new social opportunities, plenty of on-foot urban explorations, plus many more outdoor adventures.
Jerry Schad is survived by his wife Peg Reiter, son Tom Schad of El Cajon, and by his mother Marion Schad of Morgan Hill, California. In addition, he is survived by three younger sisters: Leslee Schad (West Grove, Pennsylvania), Laurie Schad (Amherst, Massachusetts), and Marita Roth (Morgan Hill, California).
A memorial celebration honoring Jerry will be on Sunday, Oct. 9, at 4:00 pm at the historic El Cortez Hotel at 702 Ash Street, in downtown San Diego. Trail 43 in Balboa Park, which runs from 6th & Upas to 6th & Elm has been renamed the "Jerry Schad Memorial Trail" to commemorate where Jerry met his wife, Peg Reiter, in March 2010. Donations in Jerry's memory may be sent to: Friends of Balboa Park, 2125 Park Boulevard, San Diego, CA 92101. Funds will be used to benefit the Balboa Park Trail System in trail maintenance, improvements, maps and other forms of information dissemination. The family requests no flowers and none will be accepted.
++++++++++++++++++++++
A profile of Mr. Schad and his wife, published in The San Diego Union-Tribune, generated a huge response from readers. Many praised him for inspiring their own explorations.
Reiter, in tribute to her late husband, went on a hike near the beach on Thursday afternoon.
Gerald L. Schad was born and raised in San Jose and graduated from UC Berkeley. He moved to the San Diego area in 1972 and earned a master's degree in astronomy from San Diego State University.
He taught community college classes for 36 years in astronomy, physics and related subjects and had been, until recently, chairman of the physical sciences department at San Diego Mesa College.
He is survived by his wife, his son, Tom Schad of El Cajon, his mother, Marion Schad of Morgan Hill, and three sisters: Leslee Schad of Pennsylvania, Laurie Schad of Massachusetts and Marita Roth of Morgan Hill.
A memorial celebration will be held Oct. 9 at 4 p.m. at the El Cortez Hotel, 702 Ash St San Diego.
The family said donations in Mr. Schad's name may be made to Friends of Balboa Park, 2125 Park Blvd., San Diego, CA, 92101. The funds will be used to maintain park trails and on related efforts. The family requests that no flowers be sent.
__________________________
Peg planed to scatter Jerry's ashes in the Anza-Borrego Desert, where they once watched a meteor shower in the middle of the night.
more:
https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/sdut-journeys-end-san-diego-explorer-faces-terminal-c-2011aug10-htmlstory.html
https://www.sdmesa.edu/campus-life/galleries-and-attractions/observatory/
