Obituary

Lynn Curtis Schlenker, age 73 of Glendale, AZ died October 3, 2018.  He was born January 16, 1945, in Moorhead, Minnesota, and was the only adopted son of Jake and Freida Schlenker who adopted him as a 16-day old infant.  Lynn loved his family very much.  Life in Minnesota offered him everything he desired, friendly people, abundant wildlife, sunshine, rain and especially a place where he could play in the snow with his favorite dog.  When Lynn’s mother decided to move to Sun City, AZ after the death of his father, Lynn thought that it might be a good move for him to make, too.

One day an errand took Lynn to Montgomery Ward.  There a saleswoman by the name of Wanda caught his eye.  He told her that he would like to take her for a ride on his motorcycle and asked for her number.  After his objections when she handed him her business card she asked for it back and wrote her personal number on the back of it.  When her surprised coworkers questioned her about why she would do such a thing, Wanda replied, “He asked me to go for a ride and he’s beautiful!”  Wanda and Lynn were married for 31 great years!  Though at times he could be ornery, he and Wanda had many good times, laughs, and never ran out of things to talk about.

Lynn’s positive outlook on life was a trademark of his character.   He was a commercial truck driver and loved being out on the open road.   In fact, when questioned about his livelihood, Lynn would reply, “I’m an over-the-road paid tourist.”  When not working he could be found traveling the highways on his motorcycle or in his white pick-up truck with his travel trailer.  He rode a motorcycle most of his life and was a member of the Gold Wing Road Riders Association. His traveling took him to nearly every corner of the country.  His love of travel was only rivaled by his enjoyment of trains.  He collected HO scale model trains and had a room dedicated to his railroad layout.

Lynn’s warm, generous attitude endeared him to everyone he met.  His cheerful personality and ability to make friends quickly made him a natural when he worked as a greeter at Wal-Mart.  Those traits, along with his striking looks, also gave him the opportunity to play Santa Claus during the holidays.  He enjoyed being around children and seeing the joy in their eyes.  His stepdaughter particularly remembers his kindness.  He often openly expressed his love to his family and made sure that his stepdaughter knew that he never saw her as a burden, but only as a bonus that came with his love for her mother.

Lynn is survived by his wife, Wanda Schlenker, and daughter, Lorelei Jimenez. He is also survived by three stepchildren.  He was preceded in death by his son, Mark Schlenker.  Lynn was a longtime member of The Church At Litchfield Park.  A memorial service will be held at 10:30 am, Saturday, October 27, 2018, at The Church of Litchfield Park, 300 North Old Litchfield Road, Litchfield Park, AZ 85340.