Heinz Paul Schenker 's Obituary
HEINZ PAUL SCHENKER
Born to Paul and Lily Schenker, née Moor, in Aarburg, Switzerland on September 10, 1929, Heinz passed peacefully at home, in his sleep on May 6, 2014 in Honolulu, Hawaii.
After mandatory school in Aarburg, Heinz earned a business degree and practiced his accounting trade with several companies in German and French speaking Switzerland. As a young adult, Heinz’s wanderlust and desire for adventures brought him to Ontario, Canada, where he held many jobs, from bus boy/waiter/chef to gold and diamond miner, lumberjack, and logging truck driver. His early years in North America were source of many entertaining and thrilling stories.
In 1960 Heinz immigrated to the US and found a footing in St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands. There he met Helene Schenker, married and adopted her son Lance Schenker. He was comptroller of Island Block of St Thomas in the sixties and seventies. Heinz was an avid marine enthusiast, mastering most aspects of marine activities. After island living, in 1973, he moved to the Rockies and delighted once more in winter activities. He resided in several Colorado towns, including Leadville where he was airport manager.
Following an air taxi pilot stint in the Mariana Islands, in 1980, Heinz relocated to Honolulu and was comptroller to a few local firms until his retirement. While living in Hawaii he continued to travel and explore the world, ride horses, and read voraciously. He liked to chat about his 16 trips to Alaska, his other home, and crisscrossing North America twice with his closest friends, Larry and Irene. He visited Yap, Micronesia, numerous times to work and leisure at the Manta Ray Bay Hotel and Dive Resort and was very proud of diving to 70 feet for his 70th birthday.
Enamored by aviation from an early age, he flew in the Caribbean islands, US mainland, Micronesia, Hawaii, and Alaska. He held a commercial pilot license for airplane single and multi-engine land and sea, was a glider pilot, and he worked as flight instructor and air taxi pilot. Heinz had a special affinity for glider flying and introduced many to soaring.
His son Lance Schenker, daughter in law Patricia, and two grandchildren, Delaney and Dresdner, proudly carry his Schenker name forward. Heinz is survived by nieces and nephews in Switzerland, Germany, and Mexico. His closest friends, Alaskans Larry Pellegrino and Irene Pannatier were family to him. Some of his other long-time friends include Jeff and Toby Hoff on the Big Island; Alice Hollin, Otto Mazenhauer, Harry and Adoration McCutcheon, Wendy Pangburn, and Marcus and Sandy Smaby on Oahu; Werner and Silvia Fisher in Switzerland, Lily Kraft and Peter Loos in California, Sylvia Kudirka and Augie Hollen in St-Thomas, Erwin and Alice Muller in Arizona, and Fran Scripture in Colorado. He will be dearly missed by many others across the continents.
What’s your fondest memory of Heinz ?
What’s a lesson you learned from Heinz ?
Share a story where Heinz 's kindness touched your heart.
Describe a day with Heinz you’ll never forget.
How did Heinz make you smile?