George A. Haszel, age 101 of Oshkosh, passed away peacefully with his family at his side on August 12, 2020. He was born on September 21, 1918 in West Kewaunee, Wisconsin, the son of the late George Andrew Haszel & Bessie (Sidlo) Haszel.
George was happily married to Dorothy E. Widmer in 1951, who preceded him in death in 2004.
George was raised on a farm and attended the one-room Krok School in West Kewaunee and graduated from the Kewaunee High School in 1936.
After high school, George joined the Civilian Conservation Corps located at Long Lake, WI where he served in the Medical Department for almost 18 months. He attended Sheboygan Business College for one year after which he enrolled in the Oshkosh State Teacher’s College in 1939. After recording 64 college credits, he was accepted into the U.S. Army Air Corps Flying Cadet program in 1942. Flight training was accomplished in several California Air Bases culminating in his officer rank and wings in Yuma, AZ in 1943. After scheduled training with United Airlines and Northwest Airline pilots, he was sent overseas to air bases in Upper Assam, India, to fly supplies to General Chennault’s Flying Tigers and the Chinese Army over the famed Himalayan Mountains “Hump” to Kunming, China. After 78 round trips, for which he was awarded the U.S. Army Air Medal with one Oak Leaf cluster, The Distinguished Flying Cross and a special President Unit Citation for the hazardous duty, he returned to the U.S. in December of 1944. He was then assigned to the Army Air Corps Ferry Command to deliver army fighter airplanes to various air bases throughout the United States.
After WWII, he remained an active U. S. Air Force Reserve member, retiring from the Air Force Reserve in 1978 after 36 years of military service with the U. S. Air Force rank of Lt. Colonel.
Upon honorable discharge from active duty in1946, George returned to the Oshkosh State Teachers College graduating in 1948 with a Bachelor’s Degree in a double major of Biology and Natural Science. He obtained his Master’s Degree in Science Education at the UW–Madison in 1954 and continued post-graduate work there and at the U of I at Urbana Champaign, IL.
After teaching science at Weyauwega High School in 1948 and 1949, George moved to the then-Merrill Jr. High School in Oshkosh where he taught general science until 1972. He was transferred to North High School where he remained until his retirement in 1981.
George also taught Behind-The-Wheel Driver Training each summer at the Oshkosh High School from the time of its inception in 1955 until 1970.
George was an active member and president of the Oshkosh Education Association, an affiliate of the Wisconsin Education Association. George helped develop the original salary schedule for teachers in the Oshkosh Public Schools and was also a member of the negotiation team for several years. George was an active member of the Lakeshore Kiwanis Club for more than 30 years and for more than 20 of those years served as the Lakeshore Kiwanis travelogue Chairman as well as Editor of their weekly newsletter. He also served as Lakeshore president and was an active worker in their many community improvement projects.
George was an active member of his faith community for over 60 years. He served on the finance committee and was a lector and Eucharistic minister for many years.
George was an active hunter and fisherman and holds a love for nature, whether it is a walk in the woods on a crisp fall day or hunting turkey, deer, rabbits, grouse or pheasant. He would also take the family on drives along the countryside looking for hickory nut trees or wild asparagus or grapes to bring back home for dinner or wine making. He was also an avid golfer participating on two leagues up until he was 97 years old.
His love of nature included growing his own vegetables and having a beautiful flower garden yearly. He has kept the same variety of geraniums alive for at least thirty years by taking shoots each fall and creating new plants for the coming spring. He had a plot every year at the Community garden out on Snell Road and gave most of his harvest of zucchini, tomatoes, beets, beans and jalapenos away to neighbors, friends and family.
George always kept his mind sharp, whether in the earlier years by traveling to Elderhostel’s with his wife, Dorothy or by attending up to 30 sessions every spring and fall of the University’s Learning-In-Retirement program.
He was preceded in death by five sisters, Elsie, Rose, Mildred, Bessie and Ethel and two brothers Edward and Orville.
He is survived by one sister Ellen and by a daughter, Marcia (Phil) Jensen, and a son Richard (Debra) Haszel. He is further survived by three grandchildren: Trisha (Nick) Kreibich, Matthew (Brittanie) Haszel and Elizabeth Jensen. One great grandchild Miles along with several nieces, nephews and friends.
A Private Mass of Christian Burial will be held for immediate family at Most Blessed Sacrament Parish, St. Peter Catholic Church followed by entombment at Lake View Memorial Park.
In lieu of flowers please donate in memory of George’s favorite public programs https://www.wpr.org or https://pbswisconsin.org
