George M.S. Riepe
Chemical company executive was a decorated veteran of World War II and trustee of the Boys’ Latin School
George M.S. Riepe, a retired chemical company executive and a decorated World War II veteran, died July 31 from vascular disease at the Brightwood retirement community in Lutherville. He was 94. “George was just a terrific guy. He was quiet and the ultimate gentleman who took off his hat and stood up when women came into the room,” said Dyson Ehrhardt, a longtime Boys’ Latin school educator and coach, who is now associate headmaster emeritus for development.
“He and Jack Williams [headmaster from 1962 to 1978] were role models for me,” he said.
The son of J. Creighton Riepe, an Alex. Brown & Sons investment banker, and Eleanor Stump Riepe, George Mitchell Stump Riepe was born in Baltimore and raised on Lake Avenue.
Mr. Riepe attended the Boys’ Latin School, where he earned nine varsity letters — three in football, three in basketball and three in lacrosse — and was president of the senior class and valedictorian.
After graduating in 1940, he enrolled at the Johns Hopkins University, graduating there in 1943 with a bachelor’s degree. At Hopkins, he was captain of the 1943 lacrosse team. In 1942 and 1943, he was named a member of the South All Star lacrosse team, and was co-captain of the team in 1943.
He was also named to the All American first team in Division One in 1943, and was awarded the William C. Schmeisser Memorial Trophy for “outstanding defense player in college lacrosse” nationally that same year.
While at Hopkins, he was a member of the ROTC and was elected to the Scabbard and Blade Society, a national honorary military society.
In summer 1943, Mr. Riepe was put on active duty and was sent to Officers’ Candidate School at Fort Benning, Ga. After 16 weeks of training, he was commissioned a second lieutenant.
He was assigned to the 77th Infantry Division, 306th Regiment, 2nd Battalion, G Company. In early 1944, Mr. Riepe and his fellow soldiers were sent from California to Hawaii for additional training — then were shipped out from Hawaii aboard attack transports and landed at Guam.
“Our landing at Guam was unopposed for the most part. The battle was fought inland in the jungles,” ]Mr. Riepe wrote in a biographical sketch. “After the island was declared secure, the mopping-up operations began.”
While leading a patrol, Mr. Riepe and his men chanced upon a Japanese soldier in a small jungle clearing.
“We were able to take him as a prisoner and finally made our way back to our unit,” he wrote. “The prisoner was turned over to the MPs. This is the only prisoner [his unit] took in World War II.”
They were then sent to join the battle for the Philippines. On Dec. 7, 1944, the 77th Division landed at Ormoc Bay during the Battle of Leyte Gulf. Mr. Riepe was awarded the Bronze Star for “heroic achievement” during the campaign and was promoted to first lieutenant and executive officer at regimental headquarters.
Later, Mr. Riepe was en route in a convoy to join the Battle of Okinawa, which raged from April 1 to June 22, 1945.
While they were on the high seas, Japanese suicide planes inflicted heavy damage on the ships in the convoy. When they landed on Okinawa, the 77th went to the front and the “casualties were high,” he wrote.
“I was wounded by Japanese mortar fire on May 23, 1945. I was hit in the right jaw with shell fragments,” he wrote.” I was told nothing was broken and that the shell fragments had been removed. I was back with my unit four days later.”
Mr. Riepe was awarded the Purple Heart and was later medically re-evaluated — and ordered to return to the United States. While he was steaming across the Pacific on a hospital ship, the Japanese surrendered.
Mr. Riepe was discharged at the end of 1945 and the next year married Frances “Fran” Warner. Her father, Francis Asbury Warner Jr., was founder in 1921 of the Warner-Graham Co., with William Graham. The company manufactured and distributed chemicals, including Oriole Brand Turpentine and Oriole Brand Paint Thinner. A former Homeland resident, Mr. Riepe moved to Overhill Road in Guilford in 1954.
After his father-in-law died in 1961, Mr. Riepe was named president of the Warner-Graham Co., which at that time was located in Little Italy. Since 1973, the company has been located on Church Lane in Cockeysville.
At the time of his retirement in 1987, he was also president of Riepe Industries, a real estate offshoot of Warner-Graham.
He was also a trustee of the Family and Children’s Society of Baltimore. He served on the board for 12 years, and was elected treasurer.
In 1962, he joined the advisory board of the old Church Home and Hospital, and five years later was elected a trustee.
From 1973 to 1998, he was chairman of the board and oversaw the separation of Church Hospital and Church Home into individual corporations.
Mr. Riepe was elected to the Boys’ Latin School board in 1982 and served as board president from 1985 to 1989, navigating the school through leadership changes.
In 1994, he was elected trustee emeritus and presented the distinguished Alumnus Award.
He was also inducted into the school’s Athletic Hall of Fame.
“George was chairman at a particularly rough time for the school but he was deliberate, firm and fair,” Mr. Ehrhardt said. “You knew you were in good hands with him because he gave you the straight scoop.”
In 1967, Mr. Riepe and his wife purchased a 108-acre farm on Old York Road in Monkton.
They landscaped the property and built a 2-acre pond, which they stocked with six different types of fish. Since 2001, he had lived at Brightwood. His wife of 68 years, an interior decorator, died in 2014.
He was a member of the Elkridge Club, Johns Hopkins Club and the Bachelors Cotillon.
Mr. Riepe was a longtime communicant of the Episcopal Church of the Redeemer, where he served as a member of the vestry.
A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. Aug. 22 at his church, 5603 N. Charles St.
Mr. Riepe is survived by a son, Frank W. Riepe of Sunbury, Mass; a daughter, Kathryn Riepe “Kate” Chambers of the Woodbrook neighborhood of Baltimore County; four grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren.
Another son, George Mitchell Stump “Mitch” Riepe Jr., died in 1997.