Don Schroeder

Don "Grizz" Schroeder, 80, of Albuquerque passed away Wednesday, May 14, 2025, at his home with family at his side. A memorial service will be held Monday, June 9, 2025, at 2:00 pm at FRENCH- Lomas, followed by a graveside service at Santa Fe Memorial Cemetery on Tuesday, June 10, 2025, at 11:00 am.

Don was born June 24, 1944, to Alvin and Mary Jane (Caughey) Schroeder, joining his three older siblings, Lawrence, Joan, and Lois. He grew up on the family farm outside of Holstein and graduated from Holstein High School in 1962. After high school he attended Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa prior to joining the US Army in 1967, serving until 1970. While in the Army he attended Air Traffic Controller school in Biloxi, Mississippi. He deployed to Viet Nam from 1968-1969.

In 1967 he married Ann (Pruehs) Crawford. From this union, their daughter, Amy, was born in 1973. The couple later divorced. He graduated from Iowa State University in 1971. In November 1974 he married Jan (Pringle) Bell. Joining their union were Jan's daughters from her previous marriage, Lisa Bell and Mindy (Bell) Candelaria. In 1975, the family moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico, where he worked for remainder of his 44 years with the FAA as a controller and eventually controller supervisor.

Don was a man of many talents. He was always tinkering with something, especially if it involved electronics. He was an avid reader and was rarely found without a book nearby. He loved camping and fishing. He was a big fan of Iowa State Cyclones and the Denver Broncos. He and Jan were well known for their football parties and loved to entertain family and friends whenever they could. He was a big man, but was well known for his big teddy bear heart. Family was everything to Don, and he was especially proud of his four grandchildren. He was devastated by the loss of daughter, Lisa Bell in November 2017 followed by the loss of the love of his life and best friend, Jan, in January 2019.

Left behind to mourn his loss are daughters Amy (Lee) Phelps of Onawa, Iowa, and Mindy (James Wood) Bell of Albuquerque, New Mexico. Grandchildren Tyler (Sarah) Phelps, Tate Phelps, Hailey Phelps all of Onawa, Iowa, and Kayla Ripi of Albuquerque. Sisters-in-law Cindy (Ed) Squires of Ames, Iowa, Sue Greenfield of Ames, Iowa, and Shelly Hanton of Albuquerque, along with several nieces and nephews and other family members.

He was preceded in death by wife Jan, daughter Lisa, his parents, his mother and father-in-law, brother, Lawrence, sisters, Joan and Lois, sister-in-law Nancy, brother-in-law, Jack, brother-in-law, Morris, nephew, Tait, along with many other family and friends.

He will be missed by all who knew him.