Roll Call Tribute

George Wayne Skladal 

April 25, 1933 - June 25, 2024 

George was born on April 25, 1933, at Ft William McKinley, Philippine Islands. His father was an Army Officer, Lt. Colonel, in the Philippine Scouts, a branch of the U.S. Military.

In about 1939, the family moved to Woburn, Mass., where they resided until George was in high school. The family relocated again to San Antonio, Texas, where George was enrolled in the Texas Military Institute. George became president of his class and graduated as valedictorian.

Failing the eye test for West Point where he had a commission to attend, he enrolled in the Cadet Corp at Texas A&M University in 1950. Four years after graduation, with a degree in civil engineering, he worked for a summer with the Texas Highway Department in Floresville, Texas. Then he headed to Fort Bragg, N.C., as a 2nd Lieutenant. There he joined the 82nd Airborne and jumped out of "perfectly good airplanes." After that assignment he went to Ranger School from which he also graduated.

In spring 1956, he met his future wife at Randolph Women's College. They were married on Dec. 26,1956. While his wife finished college at Sweet Briar College, George was sent to Camp Zama, Japan, in June 1957, to be a general's aide to General Broom. In spring 1959, he was assigned to Fort Benning, Ga., where he ran the commissary. In about 1962, George served in Korea for one year. In 1963, he went to Fort Lee, Va., to teach in the Quartermaster School there. During that time, he attended the General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, Kan. His new assignment was Lawrence, Kan., where he attended the University of Kansas earning a master's degree in petroleum management. From there it was off to Alaska to join the Joint Staff at Elmendorf Air Force Base in Anchorage, Alaska. His first assignment was the Fairbanks flood, for which he received a commendation award. During this time, he earned a master's in public administration from the University of Alaska. He served in Vietnam and received the Bronze Star. After retiring from the Army, with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel, George went to law school at St. Mary's University in San Antonio, Texas.

Following his military service George continued his work in the petroleum industry serving as Executive Director and legal counsel staff for the Alaska Pipeline Commission. He later served as deputy director of the Alaska Division of Energy and Power Development, where he was involved in numerous impact studies on conservation and alternative energy sources. Committed to serving the Anchorage community, George has held seats on numerous boards and councils serving as president of the Tudor Area Community Council and the Anchorage Inn of Court and was a 33-year volunteer on the Terminal Operations and Environmental Monitoring Committee, which is one of five technical committees for the Prince William Sound Regional Citizen's Advisory Council on which he served until his death. He was a member of the planning committee for the Arctic Winter Games in Anchorage. He was a volunteer at the Anchorage Public Library's annual book sale. George practiced law for over 34 years and shared legal expertise through numerous educational avenues. He participated as a judge on the high school moot court competitions and taught elementary school students about constitutional law and trial advocacy. In 2008, he taught at the UAA Student Constitutional Convention.

He had a publication: "The Coastal Boundaries of Naval Petroleum Reserve No 4" Alaska Sea Grant Report Number 73-12 University of Alaska Sea Grant Program May 1974. In addition, George became an accomplished artist. He enjoyed creating whimsical clay sculptures and eventually found his love in watercolor. He achieved several awards for his art endeavors.

He is survived by his wife, Elizabeth Skladal; son, Wayne Skladal; granddaughters, Leah and Lauren Skladal; son and daughter-in-law, Joseph and Leah Skladal; and grandchildren, Samantha Skladal, Jessica Skladal and Christopher Skladal. He was preceded in death by Linda Skladal, wife of Wayne Skladal.

Services will be held on July 6, 2024, at 2 p.m., at Christ Our Savior Lutheran Church, 1612 Oceanview Drive in Anchorage. Pastor Nollie Malabuyo officiating.