Dr. George Aldarus Schaap, MD passed away Wednesday February 1, in Chico surrounded by family and friends. He was born in Sacramento on August 11, 1919 in the same house where two earlier generations were born. He attended high school in Albany, Ca. and Santa Rosa Junior College, where he met Phoebe Lewis, his wife of 63 years. They married in southern california on April 12, 1942 where he was attending the University of California Irvine School of Medicine. They moved north to Colusa in 1948 with their twins, Craig and Pamela "Casey". George practiced surgery and general medicine in Colusa for 28 years, except for the two years the family spent abroad while he studied surgery under a famous physician in Linz, Austria. In 1976 Phoebe and George moved to her family's ranch in Greenview for an early retirement. However, the same year he accepted an offer from the Air Force to join their ranks as a Lt. Colonel Flight Surgeon under a new program known as the "Pony Express " which offered accomplished physicians an opportunity to serve their country. He loved his time in the military. He was stationed at Davis-Motham AFB in Tucson, Arizona and Beale AFB in Marysville Ca., as the Flight Surgeon for the SR-71's. An assignment he was extremely proud of, and where he served with his favorite son-in-law, Colonel Barry MacKean.

After his retirement the Col. and Phoebe returned to their peaceful lifestyle at the ranch, where she passed away on November 10, 2005. During his long and successful life he was involved in numerous civic and social clubs. He was honored for his 50 years in the Masons, a member of the Lion's Club, a Shriner, a member of the Grange, and the Republican Central Committee of Northern California. George loved his time in the military, hunting with his german wirehair, Fritz, his family, especially his only grandchild, Ashley, life at the ranch and "dabbling" in the stock market.

He had one sibling, Dr. Charles Schaap MD, of Monte Rio, Ca. who pre-deceased him in 2007. He is survived by his son, Craig and daughter, "Casey", granddaughter, Ashley, his sister-in-law, Dr. Marie Schaap, MD and her children Sharlene, Charles and Gaylord and their families. Also Phoebe's (Lewis) side of the family, who knew him as "Uncle George", Alvin, Candy, Linda , Janet and their families. The memorial service is scheduled for Sunday, February 12 at 2 P.M. at the Ft. Jones Masonic Hall with burial, next to Phoebe, at the FT. Jones Cemetery following the service. The family will have a "Celebration of Life" in Colusa at a place and time to be announced at a later date. In Lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Madrone Hospice in Yreka or the Scott Valley Scholarship Fund in Etna, Ca.