Heinz Scheller

Heinz Hank Scheller, age 94, died Monday, November 14, 2011 at Hospice of Northwest Ohio in Perrysburg. Hank was born January 13, 1917 in Aschersleben, Germany. He emigrated to the U.S. at the age of nine and moved to Toledo in 1927. Hank attended Auburndale Grade School, Robinson Junior High School and Macomber Vocational High School. His career goal started while in high school, where he was president of the Engineering Society. He was also active as a columnist on the Hi-Crier, the school weekly paper. In 1940 Hank graduated from the University of Toledo, with a degree in Mechanical Engineering. He became a Registered Professional Engineer in the State of Ohio. Following graduation, Hank had a short-lived employment period with Toledo Steel Products, which was terminated because of military service. He became a $21-a-month draftee in the Army as WWII loomed on the horizon. This developed into a five-year military career, during which he advanced to the status of captain in command of a company in the Corps of Engineers. Since retirement, Hank has enjoyed attending this companys periodic reunions in various parts of the country and hosted the groups meeting in Toledo in 1984. At the conclusion of the war, Hank found the job he had was no longer available. His first opportunity for employment in 1946 was with Commercial Metals, where he became involved in the design and sales of irrigation equipment. Hanks career as a mechanical engineer spanned more than forty years and took him into various fields, including scales Toledo Scale, military aircraft landing gears for B-47 and B-52 planes at AO Smith, punch press design E.W. Bliss, and the automotive industry. He was a project engineer with Jeep in Toledo, until they were purchased by American Motors and his division incorporated as a wholly owned subsidiary- AM General Corp.- and moved to the Detroit area. During this time, Hank was involved in the design and manufacture of trucks for the U.S. Government, including military 2 1/2 and 5 tons as well as 1/4 and 1/2 ton trucks for the U.S. Postal Service. His latest assignment before retirement in 1984 was in the development of the Hummer, in which he took great pride. He also joined his father for many years as co-owner of the Scheller Machine Shop, a tool and die company. After retirement in 1984, Hank continued a very active lifestyle. His lifelong love for music, especially swing and jazz, led him through the years into building an extensive collection of records and tapes as a hobby, and he became very knowledgeable and somewhat of an authority in this area. Along with this he became interested in the new technology of computers to help him catalog his collection. He and his wife seldom missed an opportunity to hear the Name Bands when they were in the area, and Hank and Doris were on the first Big Band Caribbean Cruise on the Norway in 1988. Hank had great vitality and a willing spirit that developed a pattern of volunteerism in organizations. His memberships in the Masonic order Robinson Locke Lodge, Scottish Rite, and Zenobia Shrine brought active participation in the Jeep Unit of the Shrine, where he was secretary from 1986-1995. He was impressed with the worthiness of the Shrine Hospital, and for a time was a driver for the transportation of families to the hospitals. Hank was a member of the Maumee Eagles and the Knights of Pythias. He was a 50 years KP bowler and in recent years became the President of the Ohio State Bowling Committee. Since becoming a Compass Club member in 1988, Hank became very active in that organization. He volunteered for many of the responsibilities as the need arose. Since 1992, he assumed the many duties of the secretary-treasurer, and found great satisfaction from being able to contribute to the club in this way. He was also actively involved with the Sister Cities of Toledo program. Perhaps Hank was most passionate, however about traveling. He always became very enthused whenever an opportunity presented itself. He and his wife made many trips to Europe, where he was able to return to the town of his birth. Especially memorable were his trips behind the Iron Curtain and later returning to see the changes after the fall of the Berlin Wall. Hank was especially proud of his opportunity to be a part of the June Honor Flight to Washington D.C. Hank was preceded in death by his wife of over 63 years, Doris. Surviving are his beloved daughters, Sandi Mike Sesock and Lynn Horen; grandchildren, Chris Karie Horen, Jennifer Frank Ray, and Beth Jamal Owens; great-grandchildren, Wynter, Mackenzie, Carter, and Xavier; brother-in-law, Earl Delma Liljequist; and niece, Julie Kosinski. Visitation will be at the Walker Funeral Home, 5155 Sylvania Ave. west of Corey Rd. on Thursday from 2-8:00pm with Masonic Services at 7:00pm. Funeral services will be Friday at 12:00pm at the funeral home. Memorial contributions may be made to Honor Flight of Northwest Ohio P.O. Box 23018 Toledo, Ohio 43623 or any animal welfare organization. Online condolences may be shared with the family at www.walkerfuneralhomes.com. y