Jack Huggins Schaum, 88, died of prostate cancer at his home in Leisure World, Silver Spring, MD on May 2. Mr. Schaum was born Feb. 15, 1919 in Youngstown, OH, son of the late Louis Alexander and Estella Wallace Schaum. He was raised in McKeesport, PA. After surviving a number of early tragedies, including the death of his mother at age 10 weeks, Mr. Schaum considered his long and happy life a miracle. He believed the meeting of his wife, June Crouse, on the Appalachian Trail in 1942 his greatest miracle. They were married for 63 years and raised four children. She died last September. Mr. Schaum graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1940 with a B.S. in metallurgical engineering. Early in his career, he held several positions as a research metallurgist and a mineral economist. During World War II, he served as a research metallurgist at the Naval Research Laboratory in Washington, D.C. After the war, he moved to the National Bureau of Standards where he was director of foundry research. In addition to his day job, he, along with his wife, wife’s sister, and brother-in-law, owned and ran a 1,000-acre dairy farm in Boyds, MD. For 26 years, from 1956 until his retirement in 1982, he held the position of Editor and then Editor and Publisher of Modern Casting magazine, a trade journal for the American Foundrymen’s Society. This job took him and his young family from Washington, D.C. to Des Plaines, IL. He wrote editorials on practically every facet of the metal casting industry and visited over 1000 metal casting operations throughout the world. His humor, optimism, and eloquence made him a favorite speaker at professional gatherings. He will be greatly missed. He is survived by his sister-in-law, Flora Crouse Gilliam of Boyds, MD; four children, Aleia Suzanne Schaum (John Goodman) of Idaho Springs, CO, Sandy Shay of Keedysville, MD, Joan Schaum (Ned) Kendrick of Santa Fe, NM, and John (Ginger Allison) Schaum of Annapolis, MD; seven grandchildren, Sean (Christine) Lafferty, Ryan (Sylvie) Lafferty, Sam and Joe Kendrick, Austin Shay, Eric and Kevin Schaum; and three great-grandchildren, Keagan, James and Riley Lafferty. The memorial service will be held at the Presbyterian Church in Boyds, MD at 4 p.m. on June 3. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be given to Hospice Caring, Inc., 518 S. Frederick Ave., Gaithersburg, MD 20877.
