David John Schultz

David John Schultz, 89, of Huntsville, Alabama died of complications from prostate cancer on May 31, 2025, surrounded by family. David was preceded in death by his wife Grace Schultz (née Demler). He is survived by sons Floyd Mueller (Tania d. 2006) of Brownwood, Texas, Eric Schultz (Kellie), and Kurt Schultz (Cheryl), both of Huntsville, Alabama. He leaves behind six grandchildren.

David was born in Niagara Falls on April 29, 1936. Growing up in North Tonawanda, just south of Niagara Falls, David attended St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, where he was confirmed. He graduated from North Tonawanda High School in 1953 and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering in 1958 from Valparaiso University in Valparaiso, Indiana.

A week after graduating from Valparaiso, David married Grace Irene Demler of North Tonawanda on June 7, 1958, in St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in North Tonawanda. After their wedding, Grace, working as a teacher, and David, working as an engineer, moved around the country making homes in Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Merced, Anaheim, and Palos Verdes, California; Groveland and Acton, Massachusetts; finally calling Huntsville, Alabama home in 1970.

David’s knack for solving complex problems naturally led him to a career in the rapidly emerging aerospace industry. His resume lists such experiences as work on B-47 and B-52 navigation systems, a support role in an MIT Instrumentation Laboratory, development of the Apollo guidance and navigation system and documenting some of Air Force tactical communication system electrical interfaces.

David also worked on the S-054 X-ray telescope experiment for Skylab in the 1970s. He subsequently helped develop the instrument interface design handbook for Spacelab Payloads. He also worked various systems engineering and project management roles including NASA’s Spacelab Payload Integration, Smithsonian’s Chandra X-Ray telescope, and wrapped up his professional life at the age of 83 working on NASA’s Ares program.

Throughout his career, David received various recognitions, most notably NASA’s Group Achievement Award for Chandra X-Ray Center Development and Operations, NASA’s Manned Flight Awareness Award, and a Smithsonian Institution Superior Achievement Award.

David’s diligence did not eclipse his fun side. In high school, he instituted a casual overalls/jeans day in a time male students were expected to wear collared shirts and dress pants. For decades, “Schultz Day,” as it became known, was celebrated annually at North Tonawanda High School on the Friday after Thanksgiving.

Grace, an educator, opened a tutoring service shortly after moving to Huntsville, known as The Reading Center, which later added a primary school, eventually named Schola Maxima. Together, these institutions educated thousands of area children. David proudly encouraged and supported Grace’s career pursuits during a time when few women owned and operated their own businesses. Grace retired in 2008 and died in 2023 from Alzheimer’s disease.

David and Grace were always both active in their churches. Longtime members of Grace Lutheran Church in Huntsville, they also helped found a Lutheran mission church in an underserved area of the city in the 1990s. After his wife’s passing, David remained active in the church, and, as recently as this year, served in Grace Lutheran’s Stephen Ministries program. They also delivered meals to people as part of Huntsville’s Meals on Wheels program for many years.

David and Grace traveled extensively, whether for work or pleasure, frequently visiting international friends. Among their many passport stamps were Switzerland, Japan, Germany, France, England, and Denmark. For years, they opened their home every summer to visiting teachers from Europe as part of the American Host cultural exchange program. Many of these
teachers became lifelong friends with whom they kept in touch.

As much as they enjoyed international travel, Grace and David also regularly visited friends and family in Western New York. David’s last big adventure was with Cheryl and Kurt, traveling to Saratoga Springs, New York to attend his grandson Sam’s jazz concerts at a Skidmore College summer music program in 2023. Afterward, the four of them explored the region around Saratoga Springs and visited family on the way home.

When they weren’t physically voyaging, David and Grace traveled mentally through books. Their home in South Huntsville reflected their proclivity for learning. A floor-to-ceiling bookshelf annexed an entire wall, filled completely with books reflecting their broad curiosity.

David, a lifelong learner, attended classes at many schools and universities wherever they lived, often seizing the opportunity to spend time with family, such as taking a Spanish language program with his daughter-in-law Cheryl, a German class with his son Eric.

David also tinkered with cars in the garage after dinner, landscaped their home’s wooded lot, and played with the family pet, usually a German Shepherd. His most recent four-legged friend was
named Roscoe.

David dealt with prostate cancer a couple of times in the last decade of his life but never let it change his plans or alter the way he chose to live his life. He gave to others freely and lived fully.

Despite all his accomplishments, David always reminded people of Paul’s words in Philippians 3:8: “Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.”

One of David’s best longtime friends shared, “Dave was more than a friend—he was a role model. A solid Christian, I never once saw him angry or upset. His faith, integrity, steady presence, and quiet strength had a profound influence on me. In fact, it was in Huntsville, in 1979, just before our move to the Washington DC area, that I accepted Jesus—and Dave’s example played a meaningful part in that decision.”

A celebration of life will be held on Saturday, June 28, 2025, at 11:00 a.m. at Grace Lutheran Church, 3321 South Memorial Parkway. Attendees are invited to attend a light lunch reception immediately following the service in the church fellowship hall.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the American Cancer Society (www.cancer.org) or to the Prostate Cancer Foundation (www.pcf.org).

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