Marjorie Jane Schad

On August 8, 2024, Marjorie Jane Schad peacefully slipped away at the age of 99 in Albany, Oregon with family by her side. She is survived by nieces and nephews from multiple generations and many friends. Her sister, Ann (Schad) Westberg; her brother, James Edward Schad; and her beloved parents James Albert and Marjorie Frances (Carlton) Schad predeceased her. Mitzi, as she was known, was born in Evanston, Illinois early in 1925. She grew up in Western Springs and graduated from Carleton College in Minnesota with a Bachelor of Arts degree immediately following WWII. A stint at Katharine Gibbs School in New York City enabled her to join the Rockefeller Foundation where she would spend a total of 34 years specializing in International Agriculture Development in the Natural Sciences department. Mitzi supported many senior executives in the New York and London offices before devoting two years to the Peace Corps in Tunisia and Cameroon as a staff member. Her unofficial title while in Africa was “Den Mother of the Volunteers” and she enjoyed being adopted as the "la sixieme soeur (sixth sister)" by a local Tunis family. After returning to New York and the Rockefeller Foundation in 1964, Mitzi served a further two decades as an Assistant and Project Manager to various leaders in Natural Sciences including mathematician and author Warren Weaver and Noble Prize-winning agronomist, Norman Borlaug. In 1985, Mitzi joined the Office of International Agriculture at Oregon State University. Among other duties, she managed a USAID-funded project in Bangladesh. She retired in 1990 and volunteered for a further 18 years teaching at the Crossroads Conversation School to help the spouses of international OSU students acclimatize to life in Oregon. Mitzi was an avid hiker, bicyclist, reader, and international traveler. She first learned to water ski in her late 70s. She spoke well in French and Spanish and developed her Arabic language skills during her time living in Africa. A memorial service is scheduled for 1:00 pm on September 7, 2024 at the Episcopal Church of the Good Samaritan in Corvallis where Mitzi was a devoted member. In lieu of flowers, donations to Crossroads International or the Samaritan Evergreen Hospice in Albany are fondly appreciated.

Tributes

Marjorie Jane Schad