Kenneth “Ken” Otto Scheller, 93, of Montvale, N.J., died May 5, 2018, at Valley Hospital.
He is survived by his sister, Dolores Fort of Warrior, Ala.; his son, Kenneth G. Scheller, and his wife Jan P. Scheller of The Woodlands, Texas; his son, Wayne A. Scheller and his wife Theresa S. Scheller of Parker, Colo.; and his daughter, Kathy L. Carvalho of River Vale, N.J.; his grandchildren, Jenna Kovalak; Alyssa Scheller; Celina Carvalho; Amy Hyde; and Scott Harmeyer; and great-grandchildren, Michael Kovalak; Annmarie Kovalak; Dominic Hyde; and Elijah Hyde.
Preceded in death by his wife, Dorothy I. Scheller; his brothers, Roland Scheller; Arthur Scheller; A. Warren Scheller; and Raymond Scheller; and his son-in-law, Cesar Carvalho.
Kenneth was born July 5, 1924, in Patchogue, Long Island, N.Y., to the late Roland K.O. and Elizabeth M. Scheller.
During World War II he served overseas for three years as a technical sergeant in the 1711th Signal Service Detachment providing communications for the 14th AAF (Flying Tigers) in the China-Burma-India Theater.
He received a BSEE degree from NJIT and completed a post-graduate program in communications engineering at RPI.
Ken began his 42-year career with AT&T Long Lines in NYC. He also worked for AT&T in the operations, marketing and engineering departments in White Plains, N.Y. He retired as a district manager in 1984.
After retirement, he was in sales of specialized equipment for PSSI to telecommunications companies in the mid-Atlantic states. His success in sales allowed him and Dorothy to travel overseas often.
Ken was a member of the Azure Masada Lodge in Cranford, N.J. for more than 70 years, the American Legion of Park Ridge, and a life member of the VFW Post 8946 of Woodcliff Lake. He was a faithful member of Zion Lutheran Church from 1963 until his death. He served as a SCS teacher; Church Council member; communion assistant; lector; usher; and for more than 40 years was financial secretary.
Ken enjoyed horseback riding, playing tennis, deep-sea fishing, bowling, traveling, and watching Yankees and Giants games. He loved dancing and was good at it. He and Dorothy enjoyed dinner and dancing at least once a week.
Ken will be remembered as a very generous, kind, devoted, happy, hardworking man who will be greatly missed.
Visitation is at Robert Spearing Funeral Home, Inc., 155 Kinderkamack Road, Park Ridge, N.J., rsfhi.com on Friday, June 15, from 5 to 9 p.m. Funeral service is at Zion Lutheran Church, 96 E. Allendale Road, Saddle River, N.J., on Saturday, June 16, at 11 a.m. It will be followed by the military honors burial at Zion cemetery with repast in the church’s Fellowship Hall.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to VFW Post 8946, P.O. Box 8523, Woodcliff Lake, NJ 07675 or to the Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church Memorial Fund, P.O. Box 322, Saddle River, NJ 07458.