Richard Schultz

Dr. Richard H. Schultz, age 94 of Gainesville, FL, passed away peacefully at his home on Jan.20th, 2024. Born in Neenah, Wisconsin, he was the oldest son of the late Dr. Henry Schultz and Vernette Schultz. He is a graduate of Wisconsin State University (B.S.), Applachian State University (M.A.), and Duke University (Ed.D. in Educational Administration). He served in the U.S. Army with the 43rd Armored Infantry.

He was an educator his entire life -- a high school teacher and coach (FL), and a state supervisor (NC). He was elected as the Superintendent of Rockingham County Schools (NC) for 16 years and then served as a graduate professor of Education at East Carolina University for 6 years. In NC, he was also active in Rotary, the United Way, the Rockingham County Board of Health, and served on the Planning Board of Pine Knoll Shores, NC, and was a Town Commissioner.

Richard was an avid sailor—he started racing Lightning sailboats as a young man in Wisconsin on Lake Winnebago and then also raced Windmill sailboats. He purchased “Ghost,” his beloved Flying Scot racing boat in the 1970s. For 40 years he annually won numerous regional and state sailing regattas with Ghost (the NC Governor’s Cup, the Midwinters, the Oriental Sailing Regatta and Social, the Blackbeard Regatta, VISA-Virginia Intercoastal Sailing Association Regatta, High Rock Regatta, Carolinas District Championship, Shanghai Challenge, etc.), and enjoyed making and maintaining sailing friends across the country. He loved his family, his boat “Ghost,” the Green Bay Packers, and Duke basketball—in that order.

Dr. Schultz is survived and will be missed by his loving wife of 67 years, Nancy Perryman Schultz, his children: Rick Schultz, James Schultz, and Nan Thornqvist, and his 4 grandchildren (Maclaine, Whitney, Josef, and Zoie).