George E. Schatz PhD‘87, 1953–2024
George Edward Schatz of Ringoes, New Jersey, and St. Louis, Missouri, passed away in November 2024. Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in 1953, he was the son of Edward Ralph Schatz and Virginia Wright Schatz and the younger brother of Eleanor Louise Magyar (Schatz). George was a graduate of Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts, studied plant sciences at Cornell University, and received a PhD in botany from the University of Wisconsin in 1987 under the mentorship of Dr. Hugh Iltis.
George was an explorer, scientist, conservationist, lover of trees, and advocate for tropical biodiversity. In 1987, George joined the staff of the Missouri Botanical Garden, where he spent his entire career. He was hired to help build the garden’s program in Madagascar. He resided there for several years, conducting field and herbarium work, helping train Malagasy botanists, and building the program into one of the world’s most impactful research and conservation efforts. George quickly became a leading authority on the flora of the island, publishing his seminal Generic Tree Flora of Madagascar in 2001, a guide to the nearly 500 genera of trees occurring there, which remains a key reference work. He made nearly 3,200 meticulously prepared collections of Malagasy plants, including specimens of many new species, more than 30 of which have been named in his honor. As a taxonomist, George named more than 300 species, including 216 species new to science. George championed the effort to assess the extinction risk of species using the IUCN Red List criteria. He served for many years on the IUCN SSC Plant Conservation Committee, organizing and leading training workshops worldwide for hundreds of botanists.
George was an accomplished plantsman, realizing his lifelong dream on his nine-acre Herbstone Farm in New Jersey. He and his beloved wife and daughter transformed their colonial-era farmstead through the creation of expansive native gardens, orchards, and vegetable gardens, growing heirloom melons and vegetables, species trees, and endless varieties of shrubs and perennials.
From his deep appreciation for jazz to his lifelong passion for plants, swimming, and travel, George lived a rich, extraordinary life filled with enthusiasm, curiosity, and love. He loved sports and the arts equally and was passionate about good food, books, and popular culture. George’s world was enriched by his extended family, whose love supported him through good times and challenges alike. His family and friends will miss his wealth of knowledge about the natural world, his botanical tours of the farm, his entertaining storytelling, and his intense passion for life. Even in his final months, George continually surprised people with his humor and fortitude, and he never stopped learning and evolving. In the end, he found peace in the place he loved most: his garden.
George is survived by his wife, Cathryn Goodwin; his daughter, Rachel Schatz; his three stepchildren; six grandchildren; and his niece, Rebecca Magyar.
A celebration honoring George’s life is planned for the Spring of 2025. Memorials may be made to the Africa Madagascar program at the Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, Missouri.
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