John M. Scheel
Heaven gained another angel on December 30, 2020, when John M. Scheel, age 78, departed this life for eternal salvation with his daughters by his side.
John was born to Paul Scheel and Margaret Haberman on January 17, 1942, in Ganado, Texas.
John was the 7th of 8 children and grew up on his family’s farm, dutifully helping with the tasks required to maintain the farm. He attended Ganado High School, where he played on the football team and was the valedictorian of his graduating class.
After high school, John received a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin.
John was a passionate UT alumni and a huge fan of all Longhorn sports, especially football. He loved watching the Longhorn Network and cheering on the college sports teams.
On November 5, 1971, John married Gloria Rocha. They raised two daughters, Lesley and Lindsey, in Houston, Texas. John and Gloria recently celebrated their 49th wedding anniversary. He spent many years as a parishioner at St. Francis de Sales Catholic Church, where his children attended school.
John had a 35-year career with Exxon as a geophysicist. His work took him to all corners of the globe. He lived and worked in Libya and England while employed by Exxon, and he had many overseas adventures. He was a loyal and hardworking employee. He made several lifelong friends and was well-regarded by the ExxonMobil community.
In his spare time, John loved playing dominoes. He and his dominoes partners entered into tournaments all over the state, where he exhibited his passion for winning. John and his dominoes partner, Ron, were nicknamed the RonJohn team and won the first 42 tournaments they played. John placed in numerous tournaments and always enjoyed the strategy and teamwork involved in the game.
In addition to dominoes, John enjoyed playing Skip-Bo and doing puzzles with family members.
Many family gatherings ended with a competitive game of Skip-Bo, Uno, or dominoes. John had many hobbies, including birding, hunting, and fishing. He enjoyed making homemade deer sausage and canning jams & jelly from the fruits in his garden. He always had a vegetable garden wherever he lived and was excited about all of the fruits and vegetables he grew in those gardens.
After moving to Fulshear in 2002, he was an active member of Guardian Angel Catholic Church and a proud member of the Knights of Columbus, a Catholic organization for men focused on charity, unity, and fraternity. As a devout Catholic, he rarely missed church. Through the Knights, John enjoyed helping with domino tournaments and wild game supper charity events.
As part of his call to serve others, John volunteered for Meals on Wheels and assisted with free tax preparation for those in need through AARP.
John was also an avid traveler - both for work and for pleasure. He traveled to many destinations with his family, such as Turkey, Peru, and nearly all of Europe. His most recent family vacation was to Costa Rica. John loved exploring new cultures and cherished seeing historical and religious sites, always enjoying the local cuisine.
In early 2005, John was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease. Following his diagnosis, he became an advocate for himself and others with this debilitating disease. He volunteered for clinical trials and was a proud participant in the Houston Area Parkinson Society.
John was preceded in death by his father, Paul, his mother, Margaret, his wife, Gloria, and three siblings, Paul, Lorraine, and Angeline. He is survived by his two children Lesley Hearne (Joel) and Lindsey O’Daniels (Jason), four grandchildren, Jake, John, Jonah, and Livia, and four siblings, Mary Lee, Shelley, Roy (Rosalie), and George (Robbie).
A funeral service will be held at 11:00 a.m. on February 8th at Guardian Angel Catholic Church in Wallis, Texas. A graveside service to place his ashes in a final resting place at Guardian Angel Catholic Cemetery will immediately follow the funeral mass. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to John’s favorite organizations: the Knights of Columbus or the Houston Area Parkinson Society. “Weeping may endure for the night, but joy comes in the morning.” -- Psalms 30:5