Martin John Schrader | Obituary
Martin John Schrader, 81, died Nov. 2, 2013.
He was born Feb. 18, 1932, in Monroe County, the son of the late Herman and Alma Schrader (nee Gummersheimer).
John was baptized, confirmed and married at St. Paul’s United Church of Christ in Columbia.
He and his wife, Joyce, were married June 23, 1957, and have been longtime residents of Granite City. He received his B.S. and M.S. in Mathematics from Southern Illinois University Carbondale in 1955. He also did graduate work at the University of Wisconsin – Madison, and studied Theoretical Physics at the University of Hannover in Germany as a Fullbright Scholar.
John served in the Army from 1957 to 1959, where he began his work with the space program with the calculation of the flight of the Jupiter-C missile which carried Explorer IV into space. He began his career at McDonnell-Douglas Aircraft in 1959 and was involved with a variety of space programs in Systems Engineering, the most notable being the Mercury and Gemini Programs. He retired in 1998 after 39 years with the company.
He was an active volunteer in multiple organizations including Boy Scout Master, Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation – St. Louis, Chairman and Host Family of the International Hospitality Program for SIUE for more than 40 years.
He is survived by his wife, Joyce Ann; his children, Harwell (Lisa) Schrader of O’Fallon, Mo.; Eric (Carol) Schrader of San Francisco, Calif.; and Marla Schrader (Leonardo) Hosh of Silver Spring, Md.; his grandchildren, Christopher and Michael Schrader and Jonathan and Anna Hosh; along with other extended family and many friends.
In celebration of his life, visitation and funeral services were Nov. 6, at St. Paul’s United Church of Christ in Columbia, Pastor Bob Goddard officiating.
Interment followed at Sunset Hill Memorial Estates, Glen Carbon.
Memorials may be made to Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation – Greater Missouri and Southern Illinois Chapter, Autism Society of America, International Hospitality Program at SIUE or to St. Paul’s United Church of Christ in Columbia.
