Obituary of Arthur Schertz

Arthur G Schertz Art was born in Taft, CA, July 5, 1945, the son of Arthur and Emma Klitzke Schertz and brother of Donna, JoAnn, Roberta, Linda and Richard. On April 16, 2013, he went home to be with the Lord following a six month illness due to pancreatic cancer. During his primary school years, Art and his family moved 18 times to places as close as McKittrick and as distant as El Paso, Texas. Each move represented an opportunity to explore the new world around him and make new friends, traits that flourished throughout his life. Art possessed a genuine thirst for knowledge and eagerly pursued learning about subjects as diverse as the miraculous design of the human body to the mysteries of Hebrew numerology. He never knew a stranger and was deeply loved and highly respected by many. Following graduation from Taft Union High School, Art was encouraged by his brother-in-law to pursue a college education. In 1968, Art graduated from Cal State Long Beach with a BS in Electrical Engineering and launched his career as a project engineer designing custom integrated circuits. In ensuing years, he leveraged that experience into positions in applications engineering and marketing with different companies in Southern California, ultimately successfully transitioning into field sales. Art was with several analog and digital semiconductor companies in the Los Angeles area, most notably ten years with Intel Corporation. In 2002, he and his wife, Joan, moved to Raleigh, NC, where he began a new career around the web and IT, spending the last six years working as a contractor for Cisco Systems. In the last two decades, one of Art’s dearest pursuits was to know God personally. He was not a perfect man but he was always open to the changes God brought in his life which deepened his relationships with his family, his friends and his Lord. For many years, he was an active member of The Church On The Way in Van Nuys, where he sang in two choirs, participated in the men’s group, volunteered on work projects, and worked with the children’s ministry. On the long drives he often took with Joan, he would inevitably reflect on the Lord’s immense provision and amazing grace in their lives. Art was preceded in death by his father, mother, and sisters. He is survived by his wife, the love of his life for thirty-two years, Joan Klase Schertz of Raleigh, NC, and his wonderful children and their families – Stephanie, Willie, Ashley, Jordan, Rebekah and Cody Bodger of Lynnwood, WA; Gary, Kristi, Robbie and Peter Schertz of Canyon Country, CA; and Wesley, Kara, Emma and Jack Schertz of West Hills, CA. He is also survived by his dear brother, Richard Schertz of Fresno, CA and a host of dearly loved nieces and nephews in California and Washington. Art will always be in our hearts. A Celebration of Life will be held in Art’s honor on Saturday, April 27, 2013 at 1 PM at the Prayer Chapel on the East Campus of The Church On The Way, 14344 Sherman Way, Van Nuys, CA. On Monday, April 29, 2013, a graveside service will be held at 1 PM at West Side Cemetery, Taft, CA. In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be made in Art’s honor to two of his favorite organizations, Reasons to Believe (www.reasons.org) and the African Children’s Choir (http://friendsofmirembe.org/ the NC residence of the choir on tour, or http://africanchildrenschoir.com). Earth has no sorrow that Heaven cannot heal. Thomas Moore