Arnold Charles Schoenthaler, 1929 – 31 May 2013

SCHOENTHALER, THURMAN, HOLST, HAYDEN

Posted By: Sandy Ficken (email)
Date: 8/9/2013 at 15:53:09

Arnold Charles Schoenthaler, 83, kind and loving father and grandfather, passed away peacefully from complications of vascular dementia on Friday, May 31, 2013.

A memorial service to remember and celebrate Charles's life will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday, June 29, 2013, at The Unitarian Society of East Brunswick, 176 Tices Lane, East Brunswick, N.J., with Reverend Susan Veronica Rak officiating.

Dr. Schoenthaler was born in North English, Iowa, in 1929, the son of Arnold C. and Jessie W. [Webster] Schoenthaler. His childhood in rural Iowa and summers spent on his grandparents' farm instilled in him a love of the natural world and later influenced his decision to pursue a career in science.

He graduated with honors from the University of Iowa with a degree in organic chemistry and, in June 1951, married his high school sweetheart, Lorraine Lee Thurman, also of North English. The couple moved to Ann Arbor, Mich., in 1951, where he completed his master's and doctorate degrees in organic chemistry at the University of Michigan in 1955.

Dr. Schoenthaler worked in the Research and Development division of DuPont's Photo Products Department in Parlin, N.J., for 29 years, first as a research chemist developing polymers for the graphic arts and printing industries, and later as supervisor of patent research. After retiring from DuPont, he worked for H&R Block preparing taxes and at Rutgers University teaching applied math to chemistry students.

An avid gardener, Charles also enjoyed the arts, travel, and sports. For more than 40 years, he was an active member of The Unitarian Society of East Brunswick, where he found a church community that, like him, was committed to the values of independent religious thought, social justice, and community service.

Dr. Schoenthaler's wife of 59 years, Lorraine Schoenthaler, and his sister, Helen S. Holst, preceded him in death.

Surviving him are his son, Arnold Schoenthaler, along with his wife, Lisa, and their children, Julie and Charlie; his son, John Schoenthaler, his wife, Deb, and their children, Calvin, Claudia, and Charlotte, and his daughter, Mary Schoenthaler, her husband, Daniel Hayden, and their son, Lyle.

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in Charles's memory to The Unitarian Montessori School Financial Aid Fund, 176 Tices Lane, East Brunswick, N.J. 08816 (www.unimont.org/scholar.htm).

Published in Star-Ledger on June 23, 2013
The English Valleys Star 26 Jun 2013
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