Leon J. Schoellman's Obituary
Leon J. Schoellman, 77, a 50-year resident of Garland, TX, went home to be with the Lord on Monday, January 19, 2015 after an extended illness. Leon was a devoted family man, predeceased by his wife Shirley Ann (Hubbard) of Memphis, TN and his parents, Leo and Ophelia Schoellman of San Antonio, TX. Leon is survived by his three sons, Daryl Schoellman and wife, Carol of Greenville, TX, Michael Schoellman and wife, Selena of Dallas, TX, and Christopher Schoellman of San Antonio, TX; Five grandsons, Joshua Schoellman of Rowlett, TX, Jonathan Schoellman of Allen, TX, Jarrod Summers of Dallas, TX, Joshua Summers of Greenville, TX, and Daniel Adams of Dallas, TX; 11 great grandchildren and a multitude of nieces, nephews, and close friends who knew Leon as “Grandpa“ or “Pops.” Leon was born in Hondo, TX and grew up working on his parent’s farm in San Antonio until he enlisted in the U.S. Navy in December 1954. He spent a year in Korea following the war, then was stationed briefly in Hawaii at Pearl Harbor where he trained to become an airplane mechanic. His last duty station was at the Naval Air Station in Memphis where he achieved the rank of Second Class Petty Officer and met his wife, Shirley Hubbard. The couple briefly resided in San Antonio before moving to the Dallas area where they spent the rest of their lives together and raised their family. Leon started his career working as a mechanic for Ryder Trucks while attending night school where he received a certification in electronics. He subsequently went to work for Texas Instruments and received degrees in Electronic Engineering. During his 30+ years with TI, Leon assisted in the development and installation of radar systems in all major U.S. airports which was the premier technology at the time. He also developed guidance systems in the Phoenix and Sidewinder missiles utilized by the U.S. military. At the time of his retirement in 1997, Leon was actively working on new technology to develop flat screen televisions. Leon loved to travel and enjoyed playing and coaching youth sporting teams during his sons’ active years. Leon coached Daryl’s soccer team and was an assistant coach for Michael’s team. His fondest memories were the 7+ years he spent coaching the “Under 8 Girls” soccer team in Garland during the early 1980’s. Leon had a true knack for developing and maintaining a mentorship with the youth and received great respect from his teams. Tennis was his favorite sport to play with friends from work and locals from the area. Lunch breaks, evenings, and weekends would find him on a court playing well until dark. He was also an avid hockey fan and attended the Dallas Blackhawk professional games with his family during the 70’s. Leon and Shirley shared a passion for the game of bridge and played weekly with their friends and neighbors. He continued playing weekly at the Senior Center in Garland until last spring when Leon became too ill to attend. The visitation for Leon Schoellman was be held on Sunday, January 25, 2015 from 6:00pm-8:00pm at Restland Funeral Home. The service for Leon Schoellman will be held on Monday, January 26, 2015 at 10:00am at The Wildwood Chapel at Restland Funeral Home.
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