Allan F. Schanzle

Allan was born on June 21,1936 to William and Dorothy (“Dot”, nee Hetzel) Schanzle in Cincinnati, Ohio. He was raised in Cincinnati and received a BS in Aeronautical Engineering in 1959, an MS in Celestial Mechanics in 1961, and a PhD in Celestial Mechanics in 1964 from the University of Cincinnati (UC). While an aeronautical student, he worked at Chance Vought Aircraft Company in Dallas, Texas through UC’s co-op program and was in the Reserve Officer Training Corp. He was commissioned in the US Air Force after graduation and assigned to the Frank J Seiler Research Lab at the US Air Force Academy. After his Air Force commitment, he came to Maryland to work as a contractor for NASA at Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC).

During his career as a NASA contractor, Allan became an acknowledged orbit and error analysis expert at GSFC. He developed and taught courses at many places in the US and Europe, including the University of Delft and the German Space Agency. Allan authored many technical reports dealing with orbital analysis for NASA satellite missions, published professional refereed technical papers, and presented professional papers at symposiums.

Allan built and flew model planes for over 75 years. He was elected to the Hall of Fame in the Flying Aces Club (FAC), a worldwide organization that promotes “the building and flying of free flight stick and tissue model aircraft”. In 1988, he was the Contest Director for the FAC National Championships, and he was the Contest Director for his local FAC club’s annual contest for 23 years. He was the editor of his local club’s newsletter for 11 years. He was a judge in the FAC National Championships and created judging guides. His models were meticulously constructed and detailed and he won many contests. Several of his models were accepted in museums, including the Smithsonian and the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) museums.

Allan also loved music, gardening, and his cat Dandy. He played the piano by ear and enjoyed playing and listening to classical, theatrical, and barbershop music. One of his favorite shows was Phantom of the Opera. He developed his own medleys and performed them at Nordstroms a few times and he received a standing ovation from guests at a hotel in Savannah, Georgia when he played a medley of Proud to Be an American and God Bless America. As in everything he did, he was meticulous in his gardening. No weeds were allowed in his flower gardens!

Allan is survived by wife, Verna Reamy; daughter, Lorie Schanzle Quinn, and her husband, Joe; son, Chris Schanzle, and his wife, Debbie; grandson, Patrick Quinn and his wife Megan; granddaughter, Kelsey Quinn; three great-granddaughters; a step-son, Jim Buczek and his wife Mary; a step-daughter, Karyn and her husband, Seamus Monschein; five step-grandchildren, Quinn and Merrill Buczek, and Zoe, Halle, and Kyra Monschein; and his beloved cat Dandy. He was preceded in death by his parents, his brother, Roger Schanzle, and his first wife, Lynne.

Allan will be remembered as a loving husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather. He was a hard-working, organized, talented, caring, and generous man with a thorough commitment to doing everything to the best of his abilities. He will be deeply missed by all his family and friends.

The family expresses their gratitude to the caregivers at Brooke Grove Rehab and Nursing, Family and Nursing Care, and Montgomery County Hospice for their special care and kindness.

Immediate family will receive family and friends on Tuesday, April 23 from 10:00 to 11:00 AM. A celebration of his life will follow at 11:00 AM. Both will commence at Witzke Funeral Homes, Inc, located at 5555 Twin Knolls Road, Columbia, Maryland 21045. A private interment will be in Crest Lawn Memorial Gardens, 2150 Mt. View Road, Marriottsville, Maryland 21104 at a later date.