| Sources |
- [S888] Social Security Death Index 1935 - Current, (www.ancestry.com).
Name: Lester Rudolph Schauer
Last Residence: 92337 Fontana, San Bernardino, California, United States of America
Born: 13 Mar 1929
Died: 22 Jan 2010
State (Year) SSN issued: South Dakota (Before 1951)
- [S927] Obituary.
Lester Schauer
Lester R. Schauer, 64, Air Force Deputy Chief of Base Transition, Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary, United States Air Force, died June 6, 2002, at his home in Burke, Va., of colon cancer.
The Secretary of the Air Force awarded Mr. Schauer with the award for Meritorious Civilian Service and a Citation for recognition of his distinguished performance as Construction Program Manager and as Deputy Chief, Base Transition Division, Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Air Force Headquarters United States Air Force, Pentagon, Washington, DC from June 1, 1996 to September 2001. The Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Installations made the presentation. Les demonstrated unequaled leadership and initiative, successfully completing more than 23,000 Base Realignment and Construction and Closure (BRAC) actions, consisting of 416 projects at 64 gaining bases on time and within budget. His outstanding devotion and accomplishments reflected the highest credit upon himself and the United States Air Force. During this time, Les developed over-all Air Force policy and provided oversight for the total Air Force BRAC Construction Program.
September 1, 1999, the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Air Force (SAF/MII) selected Les as the Deputy, Base Transition Division. The original military construction (MILCON) program consisted of 570 projects at 64 gaining bases. Theoretically, BRAC MILCON has rebuilt five existing bases. This BRAC MILCON included all work normally included in other programs (Non-Appropriated/Housing/Exchange/Commissary/etc.) and covers the regular Air Force, Air National Guard, and Air Force Reserves.
June 1990 Les was promoted (GS-14) and "dual positioned" as the Headquarters, United States Air Force (HQ USAF) Civil Engineering Construction Program Manager for the four rounds of BRAC and working directly for the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Air Force (SAF/MII), the Pentagon, Washington, DC as total Program Manager for BRAC Construction.
Lester Robert Schauer was born Feb. 18, 1938, in Havelock, N.D., and attended grade school and high school in Regent. He graduated from the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks in 1961 with a bachelor's degree in civil engineering. He also obtained a commission with the United States Air Force through the ROTC program. During his military tour, he pursued a master's degree in business administration at the University of Wichita, Kansas.
Les was employed by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation during the summers of 1957 through 1960. He started as a GS-2 surveying assistant and, before entering the United States Air Force in 1961, had been promoted to a GS-9 civil engineer.
During his military tour at McConnell Air Force Base, Wichita, Kan., from 1961 to 1964, Les was assigned as Base Programmer, Chief of Construction Management. Later, Lt. Schauer became the temporary Chief of the Engineering/Construction Division before his honorable discharge. Following his discharge, he joined the Air Force Reserves.
May 1964 Les accepted a civil service position at Minot Air Force Base (MAFB), a GS-11 programmer in the Environmental Planning Branch in the 91st Civil Engineering Squadron. In 1968, he was promoted to the chief of the programs division as a GS-12. In 1976, he was promoted to the base deputy civil engineer (GS-13) of this dual wing (B-52/Minute Man Missile III). At the time, he was the youngest deputy base civil engineer in Strategic Air Command (SAC). During that period, he was instrumental in leading the squadron to an excellent IG rating. Captain Schauer left the Air Force Reserves early in his career, due to the critical demands of his MAFB position.
In June 1982 with his wife, Kathy, Les transferred to the Programming Branch of the Planning and Programming Directorate, Headquarters United States Air Forces in Europe, (USAFE), Ramstein, Germany. During the entire year of 1985, he was assigned as Chief of Programming Branch due to the special assignment of the military chief.
In January 1986, he transferred to the NATO Infrastructure Division, Engineering, and Construction Directorate. In January 1988, he was assigned the additional duty as Chief of the Central Region for the newly reorganized NATO Directorate. During his USAFE tour, he was responsible for the construction support of three major aircraft beddowns, an extraordinarily large petroleum, oil and lubricants (POL) construction program, and related construction work in the United Kingdom (UK). He worked directly with various offices in the UK Minister of Defense in London. Largely because of his efforts, the USAFE share of the entire NATO infrastructure construction program quadrupled in size.
For his efforts, he was named the Top Civilian Engineer of the United States Air Force (worldwide) in 1988.
His memberships included the Little River United Church of Christ, Annandale, Va., Burke Centre Conservancy's Pine Pond Cluster Board in Burke, Va., the American Legion, Ramstein Council on International Relations, and the Society of American Military Engineers. Les' North Dakota memberships included the North Dakota Governor's State and Local Affairs Council, Governor's Military Committee, North Dakota State Reserve Forces/National Guard Facilities Board, North Dakota State Intermodal Transportation Team, North Dakota State Planning Commission, North Dakota Region VII Advisory Council for the Northwest Human Service Center, MAFB Credit Union Board, and the Minot Chamber of Commerce Housing Committee.
His favorite pastimes included spending time with family and friends, traveling, playing Bridge, gardening and raising orchids, listening to classical music, reading, and recently model trains. Les gained additional strength during his illness each time he and Kathy visited a friend's home on the Eastern Shore at Chincoteague, Va. They slept listening to the ocean, ate fresh seafood, and watched sunsets. Les especially enjoyed watching the wild ponies and waterfowl from the friend's deck. His marriage to Kathleen M. Bernstein ended in divorce.
Survivors include his beloved and devoted wife of 22 years, Kathleen Ann "Kathy" (Stevens Rodriguez-Ortiz) Schauer, formerly of Sullivan, Mo.; two sons from his previous marriage, Stephen and his wife, Karen, Phoenix, and Kevin, Casselton; his mother, Frieda Schauer, Leonard; one brother, Norman, Las Vegas; two sisters, Virginia McDonald, Leonard, and Grace Breeze, Park Rapids, Minn.; and many other relatives and dear friends.
Les' father passed away in March 1991, while his parents resided in Bismarck.
A memorial service to honor and to celebrate his life will be held at 11 a.m. EDT Tuesday at The Little River United Church of Christ, 8410 Little River Turnpike, Annandale, Va. Burial will be at 3 p.m. EDT in the Columbarium at Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Va. A procession will leave the church at 2 p.m. EDT and attendees will gather at the cemetery gate.
In lieu of flowers, donations in his memory may be made to the Oncology Unit Family Room, INOVA Alexandria Hospital Foundation, 4320 Seminary Rd., Alexandria, VA 22304, attn.: Lorraine Hensley; or to your favorite charity. (Advent Funeral and Cremation Services, Falls Church, Va.)
|
1929 - 2010 (80 years)