Obituary for David Reed Schoen
God called home the most talented, kind and gentle man, David Schoen, on Thursday, January 2, 2020, but his spirit lives on with the beautiful memories and art he left us.
David was born in Fort Smith, Arkansas on February 17, 1943. He grew up in Fort Smith and
graduated from Fort Smith High School in 1961. David spent his teenage years helping his dad sell and lay carpet for Schoen Carpets, the family business. After graduation, he moved to Fayetteville and worked as manager for Hutcheson Shoes until 1966, when he was drafted in the Army. He was in the 5th Infantry Division and received the Army Commendation Medal and 6 promotions in the 2 years he served.
He met the love of his life, Eunice Mulkey, in 1968 while he was manager at Lloyd’s Shoes. The shoe store was located inside Wal-Mart where Eunice worked. They were engaged many years and married in 1978. They lived in Springdale until 1985 when they moved to David’s childhood home in Fort Smith where he lived the rest of his life.
After the army and managing shoe stores, David was a multi-state merchandise distributor, owned a wedding cake and floral design business, with his last business venture being Schoen’s Cleaning Service, which he retired from in 2017, after 20 years. He was a talented artist and loved acrylic painting with his specialty being country scenes with beautiful farmhouses, covered bridges, and red barns. He especially loved snowscapes and fall scenes with colorful leaves. Sometimes he would discreetly include a person sitting in a boat or on the banks of a pond. He said this person was him. He always said art was whatever a person saw, so if you saw a different person or a lake instead of a meadow, he was fine with that. He was a gifted florist and decorator. His home was decorated for every season with attention to every little detail. And boy was he a baker. He made the best pies, cakes, cookies, and fudge. He was known best for his lemon meringue pie and fudge, but he loved German chocolate cake and his was the best, hands down. No one makes better meringue, and he insisted banana pudding must have meringue on it. He loved his flower gardens at his home. He tended to them himself, and rightly so, because no one could do it better.
After he retired in 2017, he continued to paint, decorate, and tend to his beautiful gardens. He and his wife loved shows and musicals. They traveled everywhere, sometimes with their church, which he especially loved. Their favorite thing to do was to go to the airport and watch airplanes take off and land. Between planes, he would work crossword puzzles and cryptograms and Eunice would read.
He was actively involved with East Side Baptist Church and a member for many years. We’re not sure how the Sunday school class will survive without their coffee maker. David would love knowing the following members of his Sunday school class are honorary pall bearers: Willie Wickman, David Hardt, Ron Featherstone, Jerry Clemons, Chuck Craft, Michael Wilhelm, Doug Farris, Dennis Tittle, Chad Colley and Roy Vanderpool.
David is survived by his wife Eunice Schoen, his brothers Phillip Schoen, and Paul Schoen and wife Beverly, and nieces and nephews he loved dearly.
The funeral service is at 10:00 a.m. Monday, January 6, 2020, at East Side Baptist Church in Fort Smith. Interment will follow at Barling Cemetery with military honor. Visitation is from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., Sunday, January 5, 2020, at Ocker-Putnam Funeral Home in Fort Smith and immediately prior to the funeral service.
David was born in Fort Smith, Arkansas on February 17, 1943. He grew up in Fort Smith and
graduated from Fort Smith High School in 1961. David spent his teenage years helping his dad sell and lay carpet for Schoen Carpets, the family business. After graduation, he moved to Fayetteville and worked as manager for Hutcheson Shoes until 1966, when he was drafted in the Army. He was in the 5th Infantry Division and received the Army Commendation Medal and 6 promotions in the 2 years he served.
He met the love of his life, Eunice Mulkey, in 1968 while he was manager at Lloyd’s Shoes. The shoe store was located inside Wal-Mart where Eunice worked. They were engaged many years and married in 1978. They lived in Springdale until 1985 when they moved to David’s childhood home in Fort Smith where he lived the rest of his life.
After the army and managing shoe stores, David was a multi-state merchandise distributor, owned a wedding cake and floral design business, with his last business venture being Schoen’s Cleaning Service, which he retired from in 2017, after 20 years. He was a talented artist and loved acrylic painting with his specialty being country scenes with beautiful farmhouses, covered bridges, and red barns. He especially loved snowscapes and fall scenes with colorful leaves. Sometimes he would discreetly include a person sitting in a boat or on the banks of a pond. He said this person was him. He always said art was whatever a person saw, so if you saw a different person or a lake instead of a meadow, he was fine with that. He was a gifted florist and decorator. His home was decorated for every season with attention to every little detail. And boy was he a baker. He made the best pies, cakes, cookies, and fudge. He was known best for his lemon meringue pie and fudge, but he loved German chocolate cake and his was the best, hands down. No one makes better meringue, and he insisted banana pudding must have meringue on it. He loved his flower gardens at his home. He tended to them himself, and rightly so, because no one could do it better.
After he retired in 2017, he continued to paint, decorate, and tend to his beautiful gardens. He and his wife loved shows and musicals. They traveled everywhere, sometimes with their church, which he especially loved. Their favorite thing to do was to go to the airport and watch airplanes take off and land. Between planes, he would work crossword puzzles and cryptograms and Eunice would read.
He was actively involved with East Side Baptist Church and a member for many years. We’re not sure how the Sunday school class will survive without their coffee maker. David would love knowing the following members of his Sunday school class are honorary pall bearers: Willie Wickman, David Hardt, Ron Featherstone, Jerry Clemons, Chuck Craft, Michael Wilhelm, Doug Farris, Dennis Tittle, Chad Colley and Roy Vanderpool.
David is survived by his wife Eunice Schoen, his brothers Phillip Schoen, and Paul Schoen and wife Beverly, and nieces and nephews he loved dearly.
The funeral service is at 10:00 a.m. Monday, January 6, 2020, at East Side Baptist Church in Fort Smith. Interment will follow at Barling Cemetery with military honor. Visitation is from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., Sunday, January 5, 2020, at Ocker-Putnam Funeral Home in Fort Smith and immediately prior to the funeral service.