It is with great sadness that NASBP announces that John David Schramm, Sr., 69, passed away on January 11, 2013. Schramm was an active NASBP member and served as a Regional Vice President. After retiring in 2008 from Dawson Companies, John moved from Ohio to Florida.
Lou Colagrossi, Bond Manager of Dawson Companies of Cleveland, Ohio, said many will miss John and his dedication to the industry. “John knew a lot of people in the industry. He spent his entire career in the bond business starting with Aetna and concluding with Dawson Insurance,” said Colagrossi.
According to Colagrossi, among his many accomplishments, Schramm was extremely proud of being inducted in 2002 into the Tiger Trust, the industry’s honorary society of surety professionals, who have persuaded private construction project owners or lenders to specify contract surety bonds on their projects.
Schramm, who was Vice President of Surety at Dawson Companies at the time, was inducted into the Tiger Trust for convincing St. Anselm Church of Chesterland, Ohio to specify a surety bond instead of a letter of credit as required by the Catholic Diocese of Cleveland on a $33 million church and school renovation. Because the letter of credit would have placed a burden on the contractor’s bank line of credit, Schramm met with the chairman of the Church Building Committee and ultimately convinced him that the surety bond was a cost effective method of assuring project completion. “The surety industry lost a good one on 1/11/13 with the passing of John Schramm,” said Colagrossi.
He is survived by his children, John D. Schramm Jr. (Amy, nee Aldridge) of McKinney, TX, Elizabeth Ann Dennis (Andrew) of Clearwater, FL and Robert Schramm (Amy, nee Flora) of Scottsdale, AZ; grandchildren, Meredith and Mason Schramm, Christy and Jake Dennis, and Anna and Clara Schramm; and brother, Robert. He was preceded in death by his brother, Alan Schramm.
A memorial visitation was held in January at the Daniel L. Berry & Donald Martens and Sons Funeral Home in Westlake, Ohio. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests contributions, in John’s memory, to either the American Heart Association, 1689 E. 115th St., Cleveland, 44106, or to the American Cancer Society, 10501 Euclid Ave., Cleveland, 44106 (www.cancer.org).
To learn more about John Schramm, click here. To express condolences, visit the online guestbook posted at Legacy.com. Please keep John Schramm’s family in your thoughts and prayers.
