Kenneth Schraw
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Kenneth Schraw, 73, of Oviedo, Fla., passed away March 15, 2016 after a long illness.
Ken was a proud husband, father and grandfather. He was surrounded by family and friends in his final days at home.
Ken was born premature on June 16, 1942 at home in Hillsboro, to parents Vernon E. and Shirley L. (Walker) Schraw.
At birth, his head could fit in a teacup, and he spent his first days in a chicken incubator to keep him warm and alive. In his formative years, Ken was a member of the Hillsboro Church of Christ and sang in the choir. Fond memories of his childhood were of helping his Grandfather Walker on the family farm in Rainsboro, and he was inseparable from his brother, Gene, which continued until Gene’s untimely death in 2002.
Ken was a graduate of Hillsboro High School and the University of Cincinnati College of Engineering. He began his career at North American Aviation in Columbus, working in the field of aerospace engineering on guided missiles. In 1969, he moved his family to Orlando, Fla., where he continued his work in aerospace engineering at Martin Marietta.
Orlando was a small town at that time but was growing quickly, with Disney World opening in the fall of 1971. Ken had an entrepreneurial spirit and wanted to capitalize on Orlando’s real estate boom. Over the next 30 years, he wore many hats, including president and CEO of Schraw Realty Inc., commercial/residential real estate agent/broker, custom home builder and developer of several subdivisions around Central Florida including Columbus Harbor, Wellington and Wildmere.
In his later years, he worked as a structural engineer, inspecting damaged homes and businesses all over the state of Florida, and was particularly busy in the aftermath of the four hurricanes that hit the state in 2004. Ken was deacon in the Neighborhood Alliance Church in Maitland, Fla. and was a longtime member of the First Baptist Church of Sweetwater in Longwood.
Ken is survived by his wife, Joan H. (Sampson) Schraw; four children, Timothy W. Schraw, Hydee J. Cash (Michael), Elizabeth A. Schraw (Omar) and Dr. Todd D. Schraw (Christy); four grandchildren, Natalie Cash, Nicholas Cash, Maggie Schraw and Jack Schraw; a sister, Judith Dianne Cluff; a brother, James A. Schraw; two uncles, Max G. Walker and Eldon Schraw; and many nieces and nephews.
In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his brother, Dr. Harold Eugene Schraw; his nephew, Jason Scott Schraw; and his brother in-law, Donald E. Cluff.
Memorials may be made to VITAS Healthcare Hospice at https://www.vitas.com/community-connection.
Ken was a proud husband, father and grandfather. He was surrounded by family and friends in his final days at home.
Ken was born premature on June 16, 1942 at home in Hillsboro, to parents Vernon E. and Shirley L. (Walker) Schraw.
At birth, his head could fit in a teacup, and he spent his first days in a chicken incubator to keep him warm and alive. In his formative years, Ken was a member of the Hillsboro Church of Christ and sang in the choir. Fond memories of his childhood were of helping his Grandfather Walker on the family farm in Rainsboro, and he was inseparable from his brother, Gene, which continued until Gene’s untimely death in 2002.
Ken was a graduate of Hillsboro High School and the University of Cincinnati College of Engineering. He began his career at North American Aviation in Columbus, working in the field of aerospace engineering on guided missiles. In 1969, he moved his family to Orlando, Fla., where he continued his work in aerospace engineering at Martin Marietta.
Orlando was a small town at that time but was growing quickly, with Disney World opening in the fall of 1971. Ken had an entrepreneurial spirit and wanted to capitalize on Orlando’s real estate boom. Over the next 30 years, he wore many hats, including president and CEO of Schraw Realty Inc., commercial/residential real estate agent/broker, custom home builder and developer of several subdivisions around Central Florida including Columbus Harbor, Wellington and Wildmere.
In his later years, he worked as a structural engineer, inspecting damaged homes and businesses all over the state of Florida, and was particularly busy in the aftermath of the four hurricanes that hit the state in 2004. Ken was deacon in the Neighborhood Alliance Church in Maitland, Fla. and was a longtime member of the First Baptist Church of Sweetwater in Longwood.
Ken is survived by his wife, Joan H. (Sampson) Schraw; four children, Timothy W. Schraw, Hydee J. Cash (Michael), Elizabeth A. Schraw (Omar) and Dr. Todd D. Schraw (Christy); four grandchildren, Natalie Cash, Nicholas Cash, Maggie Schraw and Jack Schraw; a sister, Judith Dianne Cluff; a brother, James A. Schraw; two uncles, Max G. Walker and Eldon Schraw; and many nieces and nephews.
In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his brother, Dr. Harold Eugene Schraw; his nephew, Jason Scott Schraw; and his brother in-law, Donald E. Cluff.
Memorials may be made to VITAS Healthcare Hospice at https://www.vitas.com/community-connection.