Erwin Schulze

Erwin E. Schulze, 93, passed away August 15, 2018 in Charlevoix, MI.  He was born May 4, 1925 to Erwin and Hazel Schulze in Davenport, IA.  Erwin grew up in the Chicago area and attended DePauw University, Greencastle, IN., a member of Phi Kappa Psi fraternity. His time at DePauw was interrupted in 1943 by WWII.  He enlisted in the Navy and served in the Pacific as a Junior officer aboard destroyers.  After the war he finished at DePauw and went on to Yale Law School from which he graduated in 1950. Erwin married Jean Steele on June 21, 1952. He spent the next 15 years in corporate law.  In 1965 he became President and CEO of one of their clients, Standard Alliance Industries.  In 1980 he became President, and then Chairman and CEO, of Ceco Corporation.  He retired in 1990 but was tagged shortly thereafter for two brief positions – Chairman and temporary CEO of the Chicago Stock Exchange and then a similar position with The Encyclopedia Britannica. He spent winters in Palm Springs, CA and summers in Charlevoix,and MI. with his wife, Jean.  He was an avid sportsman, excelling in tennis (Indiana Inter- Collegiate Champion and member of the DePauw Athletic Hall of Fame) and golf.  He also skied, sailed and fished.  He loved the people of Sequanota and the shores of Lake Charlevoix. His greatest role, however, was as patriarch of the Schulze family where he was famous for Geedaddy lectures to his grandchildren.  A wise soul, he was well respected and well loved.  He is survived by his daughter Suzanne and her daughters, Heather (Michael) Galhalla and Abby (Rudy) Pagud; his son Bill and his two daughters Katie (Justin) Patti and Alexandra; his daughter Donna, her husband Jim Ballard and their sons Jeb (Aimee), Josh and Griffin; and his son Steve and his son Bobby. He is also survived by his great grandchildren Rudy, Leolana, and Makaio Pagud.  A memorial service will be held at Brookside Cemetery in Charlevoix in the summer of 2019.  Arrangements have been handled by the Charlevoix Chapel of Mortensen Funeral Homes.  Please sign his online guestbook www.mortensenfuneralhomes.com.