Joseph C. Schranck, of Rehoboth Beach, passed away quietly Monday, April 1, 2013, as he received the Anointing of the Sick sacrament at Beebe Medical Center, Lewes.
He was born Dec. 19, 1920, in Wilmington, the first child of the late Christian J. and Gertrude A. Davis Schranck. He grew up in Wilmington and in nearby Newport. In places like Churchman’s Marsh, he first learned to hunt and fish, and both activities became lifelong passions.
Mr. Schranck graduated from Wilmington High School in 1939, and took business courses at Goldey College before landing a job as a mail clerk at DuPont. He enlisted in the U.S. Navy shortly after Pearl Harbor.
Mr. Schranck proudly served in the Atlantic theater on the Splinter Fleet sub-chaser SC 678, and later in the Pacific on LSM 312, with landings at Lingayen Gulf and Okinawa among his major battles. A yeoman and petty officer, he had a short stint in Japan immediately after the war, remaining in the service to help muster out the other servicemen.
Returning to civilian life, he resumed working at DuPont, and began dating Margaret Hennis, a secretary there that he’d met before the war. They fell in love and married in October, 1947. Together they raised five children, as he continued his DuPont career.
For many years Mr. Schranck was the recreation director for DuPont’s Engineering Department Employees’ Activities Association. He managed a wide assortment of sports leagues, baseball and football outings, company vacations and cruises, and the famous EDEAA family picnics at Louviers.
A devoted conservationist, he joined Ducks Unlimited in New Castle County in the early 1970s. Mr. Schranck brought his networking and fundraising abilities to that organization, eventually becoming county chairman, Delaware State chairman, and a national trustee.
Mr. Schranck retired from DuPont in 1982, and he and Margaret moved to Rehoboth Beach. They enjoyed a long and happy retirement, with active membership in the Rehoboth Beach Country Club a central part of their senior years.
Margaret died in 2007, a few weeks short of their 60th anniversary. Their son, Joseph C. Schranck Sr. predeceased him in 2009. Mr. Schranck’s brother, J. Thomas Schranck, also predeceased him.
Mr. Schranck’s health declined in recent years, and he moved to Seaside Pointe Assisted Living in Rehoboth. He and his family deeply appreciated the helpful support he received from the staff and fellow residents there.
He is survived by his four remaining children: Karen S. Dettwyler and her husband John W., Frederick H. Schranck and his wife Susan R., Thomas Schranck and his wife Debra, and David J. Schranck and his wife Margaret A. Bobick. He loved and doted on his eight grandchildren: Joseph C. Schranck Jr., Zachary D. Dettwyler, Benjamin J. Dettwyler, Carolyn S. Theim, Julia M. Schranck, Rachel Schranck, Samantha Schranck, and Mary (Molly) B. Schranck. His sister, Joan S. Hayes, and several nieces, nephews, and cousins also survive him.
Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11 a.m., Monday, April 8, at St. Edmond Catholic Church, 409 King Charles Ave., Rehoboth Beach, where friends may visit beginning at 10 a.m. A viewing will be held Sunday, April 7, from 4 to 6 p.m., at Parsell Funeral Homes & Crematorium, Atkins-Lodge Chapel, 16961 Kings Highway, Lewes. Interment with military honors will be held at 11 a.m., Tuesday, April 9, at Delaware Veterans Memorial Cemetery, 2465 Chesapeake City Road, Bear.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the St. Vincent de Paul Society, c/o St. Edmond Catholic Church, P.O. Box 646, Rehoboth Beach, DE 19971.
