George Schmelzle

George Schmelzle, 63 of Bolivar, MO passed away Wednesday, November 16, 2022, at his home in Bolivar. Wherever he went, George loved the simple things that life had to offer, vinyl records and rock concerts growing up in Carpentersville, Il, Giordano’s pizza and the Cubs when he lived in Chicago, Ole Miss and writing when he was getting his PhD, and his love of his friends, family, and Jesus Christ at every stage in between. George was born the second of four sons to Fred and Ann Schmelzle in Brooklyn, New York, on May 12, 1959. He grew up in Chicago, having fun attending the Cubs games at Wrigley Stadium and the Bears games at Soldier Field. When family would gather, he always had a joke to share or a funny story. George was very close to his brothers, Fred, Stephen, and Michael, along with his cousins Erin, Coleen, Danny, Tim, Sheila, and Fran; niece Gabby; nephews Joey and Anthony; and sister-in-law Rosa Schmelzle. He graduated from Dundee-Crown High School in 1977, where he was editor of his high school newspaper. He completed his undergraduate study at the University of Illinois at Carbondale. Early in his college years, he decided he wanted to be a college professor at the urging of his favorite uncle, Hans, who was an English professor. George graduated from the University of Mississippi with his Ph.D. in accounting after 4 long years of study and completion of his dissertation. George and Jean Burns were married in 1989. Jean worked to help and encourage George to achieve his goals. During their time in Oxford, they were blessed with the birth of their first child, Stephen, on June 3, 1992. George started his career as an assistant professor at the University of Detroit. Their daughter, Megan, was born during their time in Michigan on May 29, 1996. George and his family relocated to Indiana in 1998 where George was an associate professor at the University of Purdue in Fort Wayne. In 2000, their family suffered a tragedy when Jean passed away due to a severe form of lupus. George raised his children with the help of his mother, Ann, for the next 8 years. In August 2006, he moved his family to Missouri to become a full professor at Missouri State University. As a professor, George was incredibly accomplished by serving as an advisor for the honor organization Beta Alpha Psi; the chapter won National competition awards three times and regional competition awards nine times, and he was awarded National Faculty Advisor of the Year. In addition, George received the Missouri State University Foundation Award for Excellence in Service and had over 24 professional publications and 118 works cited. George and Joyce were married in July 2008, bringing together their children Rob, Stephen, Megan, and Elisabeth to become one family of love and devotion. Nothing on Earth brought more joy to George than his family. He demonstrated love, loyalty, fun, adventure, and faith. His personality was enormous, and he gathered his family close in his arms, where they all enjoyed life to the fullest. 1 Corinthians 13: “And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love.” Services for George will be held 10:00 AM Saturday, November 19th, 2022, at Open Hearts United Methodist Church in Bolivar, MO. Burial will take place in the Osceola Cemetery in Osceola, MO. Memorial donations may be made to the Beta Alpha Psi Honor Society. A donations may be made through the funeral home or it can be sent directly via Venmo @BetaAlphaPsi-ThetaPi

George Schmelzle

May 12, 1959 - November 16, 2022