Robert K. Schratz was born January 25, 1917, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He died January 14, 2018. In his youth he was active in the Boy Scout Program and attained the rank of Eagle Scout. He attended Carnegie Tech and graduated with a degree in Civil Engineering. He went to work for the Pittsburgh and Lake Erie Railroad as a Design Engineer.
When Pearl Harbor occurred, he wanted to enlist in the Aviation Cadet pilot program but as a design engineer for the railroad, he was not able to enlist. Eventually, in October 1942,in a 4 day period he could enlist, he enlisted in the Army Air Corp much to the chagrin of his big brother Paul Schratz, commander of the USS Pickerel. In February 1944, he graduated as a multi-engine pilot and a Commissioned Second Lieutenant. He flew on over 168 missions including the Berlin Airlift. He was stationed in Bryan, Texas; Tachikawa AB, Japan; Biloxi, Mississippi; Washington D.C.; Montgomery, Alabama; Bentwaters AB, England; Ramstein Air Base, Germany, Wiesbaden Air Base, Germany; Stead AFB, Nevada; and Randolph AFB, Texas.
He fell in love with Nevada during his tenure at Stead Air Force Base and returned to Reno, Nevada, to make it his permanent home after retiring from the Air Force as a Lt. Colonel with just over 8,500 hours of pilot time in 34 different types of aircraft in 1968.
He worked as the Assistant City Engineer, Reno for ten years and permanently retired in 1978. With his beloved wife Barbara, they traveled to 49 states in the US, eight Canadian Provinces and Mexico. Then they spent over 21 years playing the golf courses of Palm Springs and cruising around the world.
After his beloved wife Barbara died, one of the highlights for Robert was his trip to Washington, D.C. on Honor Flight in October 2014. On his 100th birthday, United States Senator Dean Heller submitted a record of his accomplishments in the US Congressional Record. It was another proud moment in an amazing life.
On January 25, 2018, Robert K Schratz, would have celebrated his 101st birthday. He is preceded in death by his beloved wife Barbara, his daughter, Carol Hart and his grandson, Daniel Schratz as well as his parents, Marie and Frank, his brothers, Frank, Paul and John and his twin sisters, Olive and Marian.
He is survived by Daughter, Lyn Schratz, and Sons, Robert Schratz II, Mark Schratz, 6 grandchildren, 7 great-grandchildren and 7 great-great-grandchildren.
His family is happy and proud to have been able to enjoy all these wonderful years with someone that has seen and lived through so much of our country's history. Interment will be held at the Northern Nevada Veterans Memorial Cemetery 14 Veterans Way, Fernley, Nevada, Friday, Jan. 26, 2018.

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