Mr. John Joseph Schulz, “JJ,” 85, of Cape Charles, passed away peacefully on Dec. 8, 2025, in Virginia Beach.
A man of many accomplishments, John was known for his fierce intellect and his love of fiery debate. An athlete, fighter pilot, journalist, and academic by turn, he was a natural leader who loved to teach and mentor others.
He had a legion of friends from his various walks of life and had a whimsical, silly sense of humor. He loved Linda (and her cooking!) and hearing about his children’s and grandchildren’s accomplishments. He was one of Tom Brady’s biggest fans.
John was born in Great Falls, Mont., on Sept. 28, 1940. He graduated from Loyola High School in Missoula and went on to the University of Montana in Missoula, where he was an all-state quarterback and a member of the Sigma Chi fraternity and AFROTC. It was there, at a model UN meeting at the University of Oregon, that he met his future wife, Linda Seligman. He received a bachelor’s degree in journalism in 1962.
After working at the international wire news service UPI in San Francisco for six months, John entered flight school in 1963, married Linda in 1964, and spent three years at Vance Air Force Base in Oklahoma as an instructor pilot.
John flew the F-100 Super Sabre in 275 combat missions in the Vietnam War, flying dangerous low-level missions to protect American troops on the ground. He was decorated 23 times, and his awards included the Silver Star, three Distinguished Flying Crosses, and two Vietnamese Gallantry Crosses. His daughter Molly was born while he was serving in Vietnam. After serving in the war, he was stationed at Royal Air Force Lakenheath in England, where his daughter Ariel was born.
In 1971, John joined The Voice of America, where he became the bureau chief in Hong Kong, followed by Tokyo, covering news and developments across Asia, including the final years of the Vietnam conflict. During a hiatus from 1977 to 1979, John studied at St. Catherine’s College at Oxford University in England, where he pursued his doctorate in international relations.
After rejoining VOA in Washington, D.C., as deputy director, John served as bureau chief in Islamabad, Pakistan, returning to Washington to round out his VOA career as senior correspondent.
In 1989, he joined the National War College (where he had been a student in 1985 and 1986) for two years as professor of national security studies policy.
From 1992 to 1995, he was associate director of the Arms Control Association and editor of Arms Control Today magazine.
John joined Boston University as professor of international communication in 1995, then served as chair of the Mass Communications, Advertising, and Public Relations Department for three years before being appointed dean of the College of Communication at BU, a position he held from 2005 to 2008.
After retiring and moving to Cape Charles in 2009, he served on the board of the Eastern Shore Rural Health System, was assistant editor of The Intake (Journal of the Super Sabre Society), and was an active member of the American Legion. He was also the author of “Songs From a Distant Cockpit,” a memoir of prose and poetry about his time as a pilot.
He is survived by his wife Linda; his daughters, Molly Kelash (Paul) and Ariel; and his grandchildren Lee, Emma, Nolan, and Justine.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to Media Matters at www.action.mediamatters.org/secure/donate2025
A service will be held at St. Charles Catholic Church in Cape Charles on Saturday, Jan. 17, at 11 a.m.
