By Luke Schroeder

Brent Schroeder, a cherished husband, father, and friend, passed away on Saturday evening of natural causes, surrounded by his family. He was 59 years old.

Brent was an extraordinary father to my sister and I, and a devoted husband to our mother, Kelly, the love of his life and his wife of nearly 32 years. He made every sacrifice to provide for us, protect us, and guide us through our lives. Mere words will never capture how deeply he loved others, and how deeply others loved him.

When we faced challenges at school, at work, or elsewhere, my sister and I would always turn to our dad for advice, who was so gifted in helping us work through what we faced. He would often remind us of a phrase that would bring a warm smile to his face: "like water off a duck." In other words, face the insignificant problems of today head on, then let them roll off of you. That phrase always made us laugh, but dad loved it, and it offered a view into one of his greatest qualities: he was a man who knew what truly mattered in life.

He placed his family above all else on this earth. He was a man of faith who consistently pursued God. He treated those around him with dignity, fairness, and respect. He was dependable, trustworthy, and strong. When he was counted on for comfort or advice in hard times, he was there without hesitation. Without him, none of his children's successes would have been possible. He was the greatest golf partner for his son, and he was the best volleyball pepper partner for his daughter. He wasn't just our father. He was our best friend.

He was a truly great man. He is irreplaceable.

Brent was born in Defiance, Ohio in 1966 and graduated from Defiance High School. After graduating from Ohio Northern University in 1988 with a degree in electrical engineering, he began working as a salesman for Emerson Electric's Therm-O-Disc business in Mansfield, Ohio. Over 35 years later, after many moves and roles at Emerson, he retired after serving as the COO of Emerson's Climate Technologies Group, headquartered in Sidney, Ohio.

Brent is survived by his wife Kelly (Snyder) Schroeder, his son Luke, his daughter Elena and son-in-law Jack, his parents Jerry and Uta, and his brother Todd and sister-in-law Meg.

In lieu of flowers, please consider donations in Brent's memory to Upper Miami Valley Young Life, United Way of Shelby County, or your local food bank.

A visitation and celebration of life will be held at the Arbogast Performing Arts Center in Troy, Ohio on Monday, June 9th. The visitation will begin at 10am, the celebration of life will begin at 11am, and a reception at the Schroeder family home will follow.

Upper Miami Valley Young Life
Web: https://uppermiamivalley.younglife.org/

United Way of Shelby County
Web: http://www.shelbycountyunitedway.org