JOHN SCHMALENBERGER, ROCKLEDGE

John A. "Jack" Schmalenberg er, 74, passed away on Wednesday, April 30, 2008 at Cape Canaveral Hospital after a brief illness. Born June 11, 1933 in Brooklyn, NY, he was the eldest son of Adam and Margaret Schmalenberger.

Jack moved to Brevard County in 1957 and was retired from Space Gateway Support at KSC, where he held the rank of Captain. He served in the Air Force and was a multi-talented man who was an instrument rated pilot, a general contractor, and for many years a meteorologist with Pan American at Cape Canaveral AFS.

He was also a past Commander in the Cape Canaveral Power Squadron and spent many years enjoying boating and fly-in vacations in the Bahamas. He was a member of the American Legion and the Cocoa Elks, as well as an Auxilliary Florida highway patrolman for 21 years. An avid stamp and coin collector, Jack enjoyed these hobbies for many years and well into his retirement.

Jack is survived by his wife of 32 years, Iris; his mother, Margaret and daughter, Dawn of Rockledge; brother, Robert (Joyce) of Massachusetts; step children, Richard Olmstead, Jr. (Barbara) of Cocoa Beach and Lyn Olmstead of Rockledge, and nieces and nephews. A big guy with a big heart, Jack had a soft spot for "rescue" kittens and had a succession of adoptions that improved the lives of numerous cats he found that had been abandoned. "Boatyard", "Zats", "Friday", "Boots" and "Little Bit" found a friend in Jack, and as all, will miss his tenderness a great deal.

A "Celebration of Life" will be held at Rockledge Country Club Sunday, May 18th, 3 - 5 p.m. Donations may be made in Jacks memory to the Humane Society of Central Brevard, 1020 Cox Rd., Cocoa 32926 or American Diabetes Assoc., 1101 N. Lake Destiny Rd., Suite 415, Maitland, FL 32751.