Victor N. Schimp Sr., 92

Victor N. Schimp Sr. of Homer died in his sleep Friday, March 2, 2007, in his home. He was 92.

Mr. Schimp was born June 19, 1914, on a small farm 25 miles north of Dayton, Ohio near Piqua, Ohio.

He attended Piqua High School where he earned a football scholarship to go to Western Maryland College.

Mr. Schimp joined the Navy in 1941 and was honorably discharged after World War II ended in 1945. While in the Navy he met and married his wife, Dorothy, in 1943 in Miami. After moving to San Jose, Calif., with their first son Donn, they had five more sons and a daughter.

Mr. Schimp worked in insurance sales and was an investment broker. In 1962 he purchased a fruit farm near St. Joseph, Mich., where he instilled a disciplined work ethic in all his children. While in Michigan, he also owned Schyrtles Art Gallery in Kalamazoo, Mich.

In 1969 he moved the family to Dover, Del., after buying and opening Docktors Pet Shop in the Blue Hen Mall. After selling the pet shop in 1976 at age 62, he retired. He was a member of the local chapters of the Elks Lodge and the Knights of Columbus. He then spent many years serving the Catholic Church in various capacities.

In 1986, he moved to Anchorage. He had visited the year before and fallen in love with the people and the magnificent natural beauty of the land.

He continued working for the church and was received into the Orthodox Church at St. John's Cathedral in Eagle River in 1999. In 2001, he joined Fr. Paul and Kh. Thekla Jaroslaw and their family at All Saints of America Antiochian Orthodox Mission, which is situated on top of a mountain in Homer. He lived the remaining years of his life in Homer continuing to make new friends and sharing the many stories of his life.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Dorothy, in 2004.

He is survived by his sons and daughters-in-law, Donn and Barbara of Traverse City, Mich., Fred of Portsmouth, N.H., Mark and Panny of Houston, Texas, Tom and Vickie of Benton Harbor, Paul and Sally of Crystal Lake, Iowa, Victor, Jr. and Linda of Dover, Del.; and a daughter and a son-in-law, Jane Whitsett and Mike Trevithan of Anchorage; and numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Burial was in Homer.