Maurice Emanuel Scheetz

Maurice Emanuel Scheetz II, 78, of Greenfield, passed away on Wednesday, May 1, 2019. He was born on January 10, 1941 in Lima, OH to the late Maurice E. and Alma Mae (Jones) Scheetz.

Maurice is survived by his best friend and partner of 21 years, Rosamund C. Smith; son, Vincent (Shannon) Scheetz; grandson, Corey Scheetz; and devoted canine companions, Bonnie and Maxwell. He was preceded in death by his parents; and step-father, Paul E. Nolte.

Maurice received his undergraduate degree from Ohio Wesleyan University in Delaware, OH and his PhD in microbiology and immunology from Ohio State University. He started work in 1969 as Eli Lilly’s first Senior Immunologist. During his career at Lilly in Discovery Research he spent 5 years on location at the Scripps Institute in La Jolla, CA. He authored numerous scientific publications. He took early retirement in 1993 after 24 years of service with the company.

Maurice gained a FCC Radio Telephone Operator License, First Class in 1960 allowing him to be chief engineer at a broadcast station and to work on TV transmitters part-time while an undergraduate. He also qualified to be a US Amateur Radio Operator that he maintained to this day and was proud of his 4 letter call sign K9CE.

Maurice was an avid skier and often spent over 55 days on the slopes each year. He would ski black diamond courses throughout the US and did Giant Slalom and Slalom ski racing.

To keep fit for skiing Maurice took up bicycling. As a retirement gift to himself he went on a 3-month self-contained cycling trip from Indianapolis to Alaska and back. To warm up for this he cycled a ‘CC’ (or coast-to coast from east to west coasts). He belonged to the UltraMarathon Cycling Association and qualified for the Paris-Brest-Paris bicycle race which is the amateur version of the Tour d’France. Qualification including cycling 600km (373 miles) non-stop. He participated in numerous cycle rides in various states across America.

Maurice also was an avid motorcyclist and was a member of the Indy BMW Club for many years. He rode a BMW-Paris-Dakar bike. He rode from Indy to the northern most Eskimo village in Alaska and back and in that year was The BMW Club’s ‘active riders’ logging 14,773 miles on his motorbike.

Maurice delighted in telling many tales of his bicycle and motorbike adventures including encounters with bison, grizzly bears and moose and getting parts flown in by sea-plane when stranded in remote northern altitudes.

Maurice loved the outdoors and was an adventuresome hiker and camper. For many years, continuing into his retirement, he hiked and camped with friends with backcountry permits down the various trails of the Grand Canyon, AZ.

Maurice had a passion for art and painted in various media (oil, pastel, watercolors) throughout his life. He was a member of the Pendleton Arts Society and won a People’s choice award for one of his oil paintings earlier this year.

Maurice was a master photographer and in years gone by had his own darkroom. More recently he took photographs throughout the world and exhibited some of his work in juried art shows in both Pendleton and Muncie.

Maurice and Ros were accomplished ballroom dancers working on their gold level of dancing. They participated in showcases in Indy and Kansas.

Maurice and Ros were adventure travelers visiting numerous countries throughout the world focused on their love of wildlife and nature. Highlights included chimpanzee trekking in Tanzania and camping and canoeing on the Zambezi river in Africa amongst hippo and elephants. As part of their travels they were avid bird watchers and made presentations together to the Indianapolis Audubon Society on their bird encounters in Africa and Argentina.

Maurice and Ros also did volunteer teaching in Ghana, Africa as part of the Lilly ‘Connecting Hearts Abroad’ program.

Maurice loved to cook and saw it as an art form and prided himself on the fact that no meal could be replicated. He liked nothing better than to cook with vegetables harvested from his own garden.

Maurice was an amazingly talented about the house and could turn his hand at any task related to carpentry, plumbing and electrical work. In addition, he was a computer ‘geek’.

Maurice was also a great dog lover. The ‘puppies’, Maxwell and Bonnie (Black and Chocolate Labradors respectively), were definitely part of the family and most days found Maurice and Ros taking them for walks at Fort Benjamin Harrison State Park.

Maurice was a quiet, caring, thoughtful and sensitive man. Honor and integrity were part of who he was. He was reliable, thorough and put 110% into everything he did. He was always willing to help and encourage others. Despite all of his accomplishments and knowledge he was humble and unassuming. Maurice had a positive attitude, was a continual learner and saw life as an adventure to be taken and enjoyed.

Maurice was diagnosed with a rare serious bone marrow disorder, Light Chain Amyloidosis, in January of this year and despite undergoing chemotherapy finally succumbed to the disease.

A memorial gathering will be held on Wednesday, May 15, 2019 from 5-7 pm at Flanner Buchanan – Washington Park East with a Celebration of Life to begin at 6pm. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions are encouraged to the Amyloidosis Foundation at http://amyloidosis.org/