Carl Scherz

He is survived by his wife of 48 years, Elizabeth, his sons, Carl Christopher (Darla) and Paul (China), daughter, Anne (Josh), eight grandchildren (Maximilian, Stella, Bibiana, Moses, Ali, Anneliese, Ignatius and Lucy), sister-in-law, Mary (Jim), nephew, Albert, and niece, Alicia. After obtaining his Ph.D. in engineering at Washington University, Carl helped lead the team that designed the flight control systems of the F-15 fighter plane and later, the C-17 military transport. He loved traveling, music, history and genealogy. He was a collector of art and antique maps. He was the greatest father in the world – he and his intrepid sidekick, Betsy, explored Alaska with Carl Christopher and his family, he trekked to a small Ugandan village to spend time with Paul and his anthropologist wife, China, on their yearlong adventure there, and he met up with Anne and Josh in Rome on their honeymoon and took them out to dinner.

Although he moved to Huntington Beach, California, in 1989 to apply his aerospace expertise to the C-17, he remained a lifelong fan of the Cardinals (although the only World Series game he attended was when the Red Sox broke the “Curse of the Bambino” in their Game 4 defeat of the Cards in 2004).

A kind and selfless man, Carl spent much of his life dedicated to helping homeless children and their families. He volunteered tirelessly as a grant writer for Thomas House Shelter in Orange County, California, and later in supporting Providence Home in Uganda. Carl spent much of his retirement traveling the globe with Betsy, his wife and love of his life. His corny jokes and zest for life will be sorely missed and always remembered by his family and friends.

Services: Visitation will be held Thursday, Aug. 8, at Hoffmeister Funeral Home, 6464 Chippewa from 4:00 – 8:00 p.m. A funeral mass will be held on Friday, Aug. 9, at St. Raphael’s Church, 6040 Jamieson Avenue at 10:00 a.m. Donations can be made to Thomas House Shelter, 12601 Morningside Ave., Garden Grove, CA 92843; or Caritas for Children (Providence Home), 7400 W. National Ave., Milwaukee, WI 53214.