February 6, 1945 – April 12, 2023
Henri George Schuler, 78, son of William and Mary Louise (Schweir) Schuler and husband of Gayle Harben Schuler, died peacefully with his family present on April 12, 2023. Born in White Plains, NY, he grew up in Milwaukee, WI, where he graduated from White Fish Bay High School. He then attended Jamestown College in North Dakota, where he earned his economics degree and claimed to graduate in the top 100 of his class.
After graduating college, he sought warmer climates and got to Texas as quickly as he could by moving to Plano, TX, where he became the Chamber of Commerce manager and met and married Gayle, his Southern belle. George went on to have an incredibly successful career developing real estate in North Texas, particularly in Plano, Richardson, Rockwall, Kaufman, Crandall, and Denison. His passion for aviation led him to be the primary developer of the McKinney airport, which served as the base of his development company until the city purchased his interest in 2013. He then took his talent to the North Texas Regional Airport in Grayson County.
On weekends, you could find George and Gayle spending time at their Lake Texoma home and property surrounding it. This getaway was George’s heart and playground. An avid fisherman, he found endless joy in chasing the biggest of the largemouth bass on his beloved Lake Gayle and Lake William. Another source of pride for George was being asked by the University of Jamestown to serve on the Board of Trustees, which he did for almost twenty years.
George was most proud to be called Dad and Grampy, as family was his core. He is survived by his son, Kevin, and Kevin’s wife, Pam; daughter Cindy North, her husband, Kerry, and their son, William.
Other survivors include step-granddaughters, whom he loved as his own, Heather Medina, Jennifer Newcomb, Caroline North Pritchard, and Charlotte North; sister Adele Douglass, husband Ed, and brother Jack Schuler, wife Renate; and nieces and nephews, Tino Schuler, Tanya Sharman, Andy Douglass, Tess Hoffman, and Danny Douglass. He is preceded in death by his wife, Gayle Harben Schuler, as well as his parents.
The family would like to extend a special thank you to the Lung Transplant team at UT Southwestern, and to Kelly Cannell, who was often by his side.
Services for George are 1 p.m. May 7 at Resurrection Lutheran Church in Plano, TX. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests a charitable donation to the Lung Transplant Clinic at UT Southwestern. Memorial contributions may be directed to UT Southwestern Medical Center, P.O. Box 910888, Dallas, TX, 75391-0888, or made online at www.utsouthwestern.edu/ donatenow. Please make checks payable to UT Southwestern Medical Center.
An additional option is the “Gayle Harben Schuler Scholarship” at The University of Jamestown, 6082 College Lane, Jamestown, ND, 58405.
George will always be remembered as a large fellow with an even bigger personality, a warm and generous heart, and a twinkle in his eye.
