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Arthur Louis "Art" Schmeltekopf Jr.
1932 - 2007
Arthur Louis "Art" Schmeltekopf, Jr. died of mesothelioma; a cancer associated with exposure to asbestos, at his residence, Monday, August 20, 2007. Art was born February 24, 1932 in Kyle, Texas, and moved to Madison County in 1988, after retiring from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in Boulder, Colorado. He received a PhD Degree in Physics from the University of Texas in Austin, Texas and worked at NOAA in Boulder until his retirement. As a Senior Scientist at NOAA, he was instrumental in determining that freons destroy ozone, which was essential to understanding the hole in the ozone layer and ultimately to finding solutions during the 1980's to this significant environmental problem. Art was widely recognized among his colleagues as a gifted experimental physicist, capable of applying his common sense and great skills as a designer, builder and computer programmer, to create the apparatus necessary to conduct scientific experiments. He was a pipe organ builder and also enjoyed cooking, gardening and woodworking. He was admired for his boundless intellectual curiosity, his generosity, kindness to others and his delightful sense of humor. He was preceded in death by his parents, Meta Engelbrecht Schmeltekopf and Arthur Louis Schmeltekopf Sr.; his son, Michael Arthur Schmeltekopf; and a great niece, Abigail Angelle Toepfer. He is survived by his wife, Katherine (Kassie) Finch Schmeltekopf of Marshall; a son, Richard (Ric) Schmeltekopf and daughter-in-law, Joyce (JC) of Johnstown, Colorado. Also surviving are two granddaughters, Mitzi Groom and husband, Shawn, of Garner, Iowa, and Kelly McMillen and husband, Don of Wellington, Colorado; and two great-grandchildren, Katheryn and Tyler Groom of Garner, Iowa. He is also survived by a brother, Morris, and his wife Unda, of Kyle, Texas; a niece, Laura Lehman, her husband, Julius, and their two sons, Jordan and Hunter, also of Kyle; his sister Rose Marie Toepfer, and her husband Ernst Jr. (Ernie) of Marksville, Louisiana also survive him as do his three nephews, Ernst III (Buddy), his wife Monica of Corpus Christi, Texas, their children, Allison and husband Darrin Loesch, of Katy, Texas, Ernst IV (Chad) of Corpus Christi, Texas, Randal (Randy) his wife, Claire, and their two children: Alec and Grace, and Darrel, his wife, Jennifer, and their four children: Adam, John, Sarah and Luke, all of Eunice, Louisiana. A Memorial Service will be held at 2:00pm Saturday, August 25th at Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church, 789 Merrimon Avenue in Asheville, North Carolina. The Rev. Aimee Buchanan, Associate Pastor, will officiate. Visitation will be after the service. Any memorial gifts may be given to Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church to the Music Program or to the Memorial Garden. Another choice would be a gift to the American Cancer Society with special emphasis on Mesothelioma research. Blue Ridge Funeral Service, 7626 Hwy. 213, Mars Hill, N. C. is assisting the Schmeltekopf family. Online condolences may be sent to the family at www.blueridge-funeral-service.com Published in the Daily Camera on 8/23/2007.