Mr. Hubert C. Schickel Obituary - Visitation & Funeral Information

Surrounded by loving family, including his devoted wife of 52 years and his five children (who had all run far away from home in their early 20s), Hubert Schickel, 91, of Whippleville Road, Malone ended one adventure and began his next on Sunday, June 16, 2019. Born on Sept 3, 1927 in Stanford, CT he was the son of Norbert and Marie (Malone) Schickel. When Hugh was young, Norb moved the family to Ithaca to take a professorship at Cornell University. Hugh spent his youth walking 5 miles to school, uphill both ways in the Ithaca snowstorms while pulling his sled and peddling newspapers. He was an entrepreneur from the very beginning. War fever had gripped the country by 1941 and his oldest brother, Norb Jr, immediately joined up and became a Navy Hellcat dive bomber pilot in the Pacific theater. The stories of heroism and bravery that made it back home put the flying bug into his ear. Hugh spent the next 4 years trying to enlist and was finally successful in getting his dad to allow him to leave high school and sign up at the age of 17. On Aug 1, 1945 he was on a marine troop transport ship heading for the invasion of Japan. The Japanese surrendered shortly after they got word that Schick was on the boat. He returned stateside a year after the end of the war and thanks to the GI Bill he attended St. Bonaventure College for his pre engineering classes before receiving a bachelor’s degree in Mining Engineering from the New Mexico School of Mines in 1953. He attempted to fulfill his flying dream with the 3 services then in existence as an aviation officer but was not allowed to fly due to the heightened eyesight requirements for the new military aircraft. The flying bug never left. He would have to find another way to scratch it. In search of work to scratch this itch he came to Malone in 1954 after hearing of the opportunities that the building of the St. Lawrence Seaway would bring. He met Bob Newell and his friend Martha who gave him a home base at the Tavern Arms Hotel for the next 13 years. It was under their watchful care that the next phase of his life began including the establishment of the 140 acre Schickel homestead. In order to fund his flying lessons he started working for J&J Development building homes. He had found his calling and after a few short years the owner of the company found Hugh in his workshop building his own toolbox. When he realized what was going on, the owner offered that they should talk, but Hugh had already made up his mind that he was going to go out on his own. It was the birth of what would years later became a major contracting company. By 1960, he felt a bit of wonder lust and signed on as a deck hand with the Collegiate Rebel, a research vessel headed for the South Pacific for a year. After sailing around the world he came back to Malone and really got down to business. H Schickel General Contracting and the H Schickel Air Taxi Service were born. The air taxi service was a little too tame for Hugh. He would leave home for weeks at a time to work for various crop dusting outfits to learn acrobatic flight. The contracting business was the one that took flight as he transitioned from residential housing to larger commercial buildings and structures. Some of his works include the old Key Bank, the old Marine Midland Bank, BOCES, GB Davis Elementary, the Adirondack Interpretive Center, lifts for the 1980 Olympics at Whiteface mountain, and in his over 60 years in business, "just about anything that needed building” in the North Country. His favorites were complicated water projects including over 50 bridges. In 1967 he met Deanna Hazelton. According to Hugh, she was a raven haired beauty plowing the fields of Moira barefoot. He bought her her first pair of shoes. They were walking down the aisle a short time later (fully shod) on July 13, 1967. She was by his side for the next 52 years. They were blessed with 5 children. You would never find Hugh with his hands in his pockets even outside of work. Hugh was a strong believer in athletics and education. He sent all five kids to college and built horse arenas and hockey rinks across the homestead. He was an avid supporter of the Malone community. He was a member of the the Malone Call Firemen, the Amvets, the American Legion, the Moose Lodge, the Elks, and the Malone Minor Hockey Association (which he was instrumental in growing). He was also a member of the North Franklin Flying Club, AOPA and EAA (Experimental Aircraft Association). There were not many things on this Earth that Hugh wasn’t certified to drive, fly, or fire. He had a commercial truckers license, an aircraft license (with commercial, instrumental, multi engine, and helicopter ratings). He was licensed for scuba diving, parachuting, and handguns. Feeling incomplete he acquired his motorcycle license 5 years ago in his mid 80s. Hugh was an avid aviator until the very end. He was still giving airshows commercially and giving free airshows over the Westville hayfields to any who cared to look up at the right time of day. Hugh is survived by and an inspiration to his wife, Deanna of 52 years; 5 children, Hugh Schickel and partner Stacey Whiteside of Denver, CO, Michelle Perry of Wynnewood, OK, Jeff Schickel of Smithfield, NC, Joe Schickel and wife Natalie of Summit, NJ, Deanna Strong and husband Nate of Spencerville, IN; 9 grandchildren, Marin, Ruger and Geneva Perry, Juliana Schickel and Gavin Carr, Cecelia and Anabel Renz, Adrienne Harrison and great grandson, Ian Campbell; 4 siblings, Jack Schickel and wife Betty of Sun City, AZ, Lou Schickel and wife Lenore Little Rock, AR, Jerry Schickel and wife Irene of Signal Mountain, TN, Marie Rottshafer of Oregon; numerous nieces and nephews; honorary family member Brian Trombley; his many friends in the Malone community; AND last but certainly not least his loyal co-pilot Luna He was predeceased by his parents and sisters Ruth Schickel, Agnes Anderson, her husband Ken, and his Brothers Norbert Schickel, his wife Marnie and William Schickel, his wife Mary. Calling hours will be Friday, June 21 from 2-4pm at the St Mary Murphy-Wilcox funeral home in Malone. A celebration of a life well lived will follow at 4:30pm at the Elks Lodge in Malone, NY. Please join us. Donations may be made in his memory to Hospice of the North Country or St Judes Children’s Hospital.

Mr. Hubert C. Schickel

September 3, 1927 - June 16, 2019