Dale Alfred Schonmeyer

Dale Alfred Schonmeyer, 94, entered into Eternal Life on Monday, November 9, 2020 at his home in Surprise, AZ. Born March 29, 1926, in Cleveland, Ohio, to his late parents, Alf and Barbara (Deacon) Schonmeyer, he married his beloved wife, Martha “Pat” (Jenks) Schonmeyer, in 1950 in Ohio. They also lived in Indiana and Georgia, but they called Arizona home for the past 16 years and he loved living here.

They marked their 70th Anniversary in July of 2020, and Pat survives him. He was preceded in death by their son, Dale Allan, and his sister Elaine Doubrava. He is survived by beloved daughter Beth and son-in-law Tom Moran, granddaughter Janet (Leslie) Pirkle, grandson Jeff (Jennifer) Moran, great-grandchildren Bailey and Colton Moran, niece Heidi Wintersteen, and nephews Dick, Dean (Debbie), and Dana Doubrava. He treasured his relationships with his family and his many friends of all ages who remained faithful in their love for him across the years.

Dale was a devoted Christian and served as a church Elder and teacher, and a member and soloist in his church choirs. He blessed us by singing “O Holy Night” nearly every Christmas up to and including 2019. He served in the Army Air Corps during WWII, and graduated from the University of Ohio in 1949 with the first BS the school ever awarded in Business Engineering. He worked in that field his entire career, including running his own company, Visual Systems, selling and designing audio-video systems for cable companies, schools, churches, and hospitals. He also earned his private pilot’s license and owned two small planes.

Dale was everyone’s favorite Handy Helper. He could fix almost anything, and did, for family and by volunteering at various Independent Living Homes in Georgia and Arizona, and at Benevilla here in Arizona. He tried to help someone every day. He loved building things and was never happier than when he had a project. He constructed a full-sized kit plane which he then flew from 1995 to 2000. He enjoyed golf, trout fishing, hiking, and travel. He participated in an Honor Flight Arizona trip to Washington DC in 2012 in tribute to his WWII service. Dale often told us he felt blessed by the Lord, and he was generous with those blessings, gifting to his family, his friends, his church and various charities.

A memorial service will be held at a future date when his family and friends can attend safely. Contributions in Dale’s memory may be made to the charity of your choice, or to Christian City at www.christiancity.org.