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December 12, 2007
William H. “Mickey” Schank age 89 a long time Green Pond resident and recently of Oakridge, died Wednesday, December 12, 2007. His passing was quiet and peaceful with his loving family at his bedside.
He was born in New York City and lived in Richfield Park as a child, where his father owned a gas station and auto repair business in the 1920’s. When the depression took place his father William J. Schank traded his auto service business in Richfield Park for a dairy farm in Andes, New York. The family had a personal crash course in animal husbandry including milking and maintaining a herd of dairy cows. Mickey would start his day with his father and later by himself at 4 AM, taking care of the dairy farm chores including milking the cows and would then head off to school.
He received his formal education at the Andes, New York, K through 12 school. His graduating class had a total of thirteen students. Every one of his male classmates participated in the high school sports teams but they still could only muster six for the baseball team and despite this handicap they won championships. Mickey was an avid softball player in the Green Pond softball league in the 50’s.
It is interesting to note that in those days of the depression it was hard to make ends meet and the family lived on home grown produce, in the winter they often lived only on potatoes and milk, three meals a day. Mickey in his younger days was not as strong and healthy, but the farm work regimen helped him develop into a healthy young man which he carried through life. In the hospital, days before his death he was still proud to demonstrate his strong grip to the doctors, developed while sitting on the milking stool twice a day on the farm.
He later moved to Edgewater where he lived and worked with his uncle in the auto repair business and seasonally commercial fishing on the Hudson River. He also attended Bergen Community College and later Seton Hall University. After the War and marriage to Emily, Mickey ran an “open air” auto repair business on the street in front of his home on Undercliff Avenue in Edgewater. His two sons often watched as he made major repairs to pre War autos. They both learned that by taking things apart you could fix anything, often they were less successful putting things back together than their father. But the lessons were taught well. He then moved his family to River Edge and later to Oradell, summering in Green Pond and later moving to Green Pond fulltime for a total of fifty-eight years.
Mickey served in the Army Air Force during World War II as a First Lieutenant in the 315th Troop Carrier Group, 34th Squadron of the Army Air Force, based in the European Theater of the War. He was specially trained in navigation and for two years he taught navigation in the officers Army training school in Louisiana. He later participated in the Battles in Europe, in Ardennes, Central Europe and in the Rhineland. He received the European African Middle Eastern Theater Campaign Ribbon, Air Medal American Theater Campaign Ribbon. He remained active in the 315th Troop Carrier Group Association throughout his life.
He later went to work for the Ford Motor Company in Teterboro where he was Regional Service Manager. He retired from Ford Motor Company in 1984 after twenty-six years of service.
The dormant flying bug again became active in the late sixties and he became a pilot and owned his own Piper Comanche airplane which both he and his wife Emily, also a pilot, took on many fun excursions. Perhaps the most joy came when they flew their plane to see their four grandchildren in Michigan. They also met for family vacations aro
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December 12, 2007
William H. “Mickey” Schank age 89 a long time Green Pond resident and recently of Oakridge, died Wednesday, December 12, 2007. His passing was quiet and peaceful with his loving family at his bedside.
He was born in New York City and lived in Richfield Park as a child, where his father owned a gas station and auto repair business in the 1920’s. When the depression took place his father William J. Schank traded his auto service business in Richfield Park for a dairy farm in Andes, New York. The family had a personal crash course in animal husbandry including milking and maintaining a herd of dairy cows. Mickey would start his day with his father and later by himself at 4 AM, taking care of the dairy farm chores including milking the cows and would then head off to school.
He received his formal education at the Andes, New York, K through 12 school. His graduating class had a total of thirteen students. Every one of his male classmates participated in the high school sports teams but they still could only muster six for the baseball team and despite this handicap they won championships. Mickey was an avid softball player in the Green Pond softball league in the 50’s.
It is interesting to note that in those days of the depression it was hard to make ends meet and the family lived on home grown produce, in the winter they often lived only on potatoes and milk, three meals a day. Mickey in his younger days was not as strong and healthy, but the farm work regimen helped him develop into a healthy young man which he carried through life. In the hospital, days before his death he was still proud to demonstrate his strong grip to the doctors, developed while sitting on the milking stool twice a day on the farm.
He later moved to Edgewater where he lived and worked with his uncle in the auto repair business and seasonally commercial fishing on the Hudson River. He also attended Bergen Community College and later Seton Hall University. After the War and marriage to Emily, Mickey ran an “open air” auto repair business on the street in front of his home on Undercliff Avenue in Edgewater. His two sons often watched as he made major repairs to pre War autos. They both learned that by taking things apart you could fix anything, often they were less successful putting things back together than their father. But the lessons were taught well. He then moved his family to River Edge and later to Oradell, summering in Green Pond and later moving to Green Pond fulltime for a total of fifty-eight years.
Mickey served in the Army Air Force during World War II as a First Lieutenant in the 315th Troop Carrier Group, 34th Squadron of the Army Air Force, based in the European Theater of the War. He was specially trained in navigation and for two years he taught navigation in the officers Army training school in Louisiana. He later participated in the Battles in Europe, in Ardennes, Central Europe and in the Rhineland. He received the European African Middle Eastern Theater Campaign Ribbon, Air Medal American Theater Campaign Ribbon. He remained active in the 315th Troop Carrier Group Association throughout his life.
He later went to work for the Ford Motor Company in Teterboro where he was Regional Service Manager. He retired from Ford Motor Company in 1984 after twenty-six years of service.
The dormant flying bug again became active in the late sixties and he became a pilot and owned his own Piper Comanche airplane which both he and his wife Emily, also a pilot, took on many fun excursions. Perhaps the most joy came when they flew their plane to see their four grandchildren in Michigan. They also met for family vacations aro
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