Allan John Schell

Allan John Schell passed away on November 17, 2022, after a lengthy and courageous battle with Parkinson’s disease with his loving and devoted wife, Mary Jane by his side. He was born August 6, 1937, to Ida and Fred Schell in Norwalk, Wisconsin. He was the youngest of four children. He moved to Sparta, Wisconsin as a young boy and was known to his family as “Sonny”. He later moved to Tomah, Wisconsin where he graduated high school in 1955 and was lovingly known as “Tiny” even though he had a great presence at 6’2”. He was a successful baseball player and pitched a no-hitter to get his team into the Wisconsin state high school championship. He was then drafted in 1955 by the St. Louis Cardinals but elected to join the Navy. After high school, Al joined the United States Navy along with 16 of his high school classmates and was stationed at Cecil Field in Jacksonville, Florida for three years. In 1957 while in the Navy, he was in a near-fatal automobile accident and spent nine months in the hospital suffering a shattered leg and shoulder which then ensued many other surgeries throughout his life. Al met Mary Jane (Jacobs) their sophomore of high school at the Monroe County Fair while she was shoveling cow droppings. In 1959 he married Mary Jane in Sparta, Wisconsin and they eventually welcomed three children: Sue, Joe, and Mick. Al attended college at The University of Wisconsin -Lacrosse from 1962-1966 where he earned degrees in business and sociology. He was also a member of the golf team and held his first job in the student loan office. One year later he and Mary Jane moved to New Jersey where he took a job with the RCA Corporation. He later worked for the American Motor Company, Volkswagen, and was plant manager for the Chrysler Corporation in multiple states, working for Lee Iacocca. Al and Mary Jane made many friends in their moves to New Jersey, Indiana, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Ohio, Missouri, Illinois, Wisconsin, and Florida. He retired in 1991 when he and Mary Jane began to ‘’snowbird” from Rockford, Illinois to Fort Walton Beach, Florida. They moved to Shalimar, Florida permanently in 1996. Many special family vacations and celebrations took place, and memories were made at all their homes but especially in Shalimar around the pool, family room, Christmas tree, dinner table, and on the golf course. Nothing pleased Al more and made him smile wider than spending time with his family. He was the biggest teddy bear, and his hugs were the best you could receive. His humor and personality lit up the room. Al was an avid Green Bay Packer fan, a great storyteller, the biggest fan to all his children and grandchildren in their endeavors, and a highly skilled golfer with seven holes in one. Those that had the pleasure of knowing Al knew he cherished his family, especially Mary Jane, and was hard-working, loyal, witty, kind, generous, strong in his Christian faith, and a friend to all. Al is survived by his wife of 63 years, Mary Jane, his daughter Sue Pappas (Mark), son Joe (Lenore), son Mick (Leslie), grandchildren Kirk Pappas, Stephanie Meier (Tony), Sammy Previte (Luke), Derek Schell (Ryan), Courtney Schell, Cassidy Schell, Brett Schell, great-grandchildren Nora and Tyson Meier and Sienna Previte and many beloved extended family members and friends. A private Celebration of Life for the family will be held in St. Augustine, Florida. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Al’s name to The First Tee at: https://firsttee.org/donate/. The family would like to give special thanks to the staff of Starling Nocatee Assisted Living, Tonja and Patty from Haven Hospice, Rachel from Senior Helpers, and all of Al’s special friends for their incredible assistance and support throughout this time.

Allan John Schell

August 6, 1937 - November 17, 2022