William A. "Bill" Schober

Mr. William A. "Bill" “Scooby” Schober, age 77 of Berry, passed away November 9, 2024.
He was born on June 8, 1947, to Annie Majerik Schober and Frank W. Schober and was the oldest of their seven children.
He was preceded in death by his parents, two sisters: Catherine Forsythe and Patricia Schober, and brother-in-law, Jerrold Ingram.
He leaves behind his sons, Andy Schober (Jennifer) of Helena and Adam Schober (Crystal) of Columbiana; brother Donald Schober of Adamsville, three sisters: Bernadette Diamond (Ret. MG Michael Diamond) of Oneonta, Doris Moody (Eddy) of Arley, and Janie Ingram of Oneonta; three grandchildren: Mason Schober, Elli Schober, and Noah Schober, along with numerous nieces and nephews.
Mr. Schober graduated from John Carroll Catholic High School in 1965. He entered the United States Navy and served for four years being discharged as a 2nd Class Petty Officer in Interior Communications.  He attended Wabonsee Community College in Aurora, Illinois. Mr. Schober was a long-time employee of AT&T where he retired as a Digital Technician. He served in the Gulf War (Operation Desert Storm) in 1991 as part of the Army National Guard 715th Maintenance Company. Mr. Schober was a proud veteran and enjoyed talking about his military career with family and friends. He later returned to the Middle East and served as a DOD contractor as a Retina Scan Security Specialist. Being a proud Slovak and always yearning to return to his mother’s family’s home country, he seized the opportunity to visit Horna Poruba, Slovakia and spend some time with cousins there while in the region.
“Scooby” loved music and had a keen ear for music. He was a self-taught guitarist and enjoyed picking up his guitar and finding the chords to some of his favorite tunes by John Prine, the Beatles, the Rolling Stones and more. He loved to jam with friends and family when the occasion presented itself. His first love was his farm and his critters. He loved to care for his cows, pigs, chickens and dogs and found great peace by driving his tractor to the top of the hill on his property to enjoy the fresh air and stars. It is believed that he was closest to God in that environment.
Working in the kitchen to cook and bake brought him much joy. When he couldn’t work outside, he’d conjure up new ways to prepare common dishes. He loved to bake and was well known in the community for his raisin bread. For family gatherings during the holidays, he would often stay up til the wee hours making several flavors of Kolache rolls, a Czech sweet bread roll, to share with family.
Perhaps his most treasured role was that of “Santa Scooby”. The first occasion he had to portray Old St. Nick was, oddly enough in Iraq. A Military Unit with whom he worked (as a civilian contractor) sponsored a large group of families from an Episcopal Church in Baghdad. With a real beard and hair and an ill-fitting suit, he became "Papa Noel" to the children. The joy the event obviously brought those children and adults had him hooked. A few years after my return home, Santa Scooby was created. When he donned that suit which was handmade by his late sister, Catherine Forsythe, he literally assumed the role of Santa. He loved children and credits his love for children to his late mother, Annie Schober. The highlight of his year was bringing Christmas joy to the children and families at Camp Shelby, Mississippi every year.
Funeral services will be held on Wednesday, November 13, 2024, at 2:00 PM at Berry Freewill Baptist Church. Burial will follow in the adjoining cemetery. Bro. Kenneth Bozeman will officiate. The family will receive friends on Wednesday from 1 until 2 PM at the church.
 

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