Dexter Arnold Schnebly

Dexter Arnold Schnebly, a longtime engineer who worked on projects ranging from the moon landing to the beginnings of the GPS system, passed away at LMH Hospital on Dec. 30, 2023 from complications due to Parkinson’s.

Dexter was the fourth of five children born to Ralph and Eleanor (Goodrich) Schnebly on Nov. 26, 1943 in Thompson. Iowa.  He went to grade school in Thompson and graduated from Thompson High School.  Education was very important to his mother, so she helped him earn an academic scholarship to Iowa State University where he graduated with a degree in Electrical Engineering.  He often told his kids about the extremely cold winter his freshman year and said the only reason he stayed at ISU was because he did not have a way back home. 

He graduated in 1966 and took off for Houston to work on the Space Race.  In Houston, he not only worked as an engineer on the Apollo moon landing missions, he also met Ralphine, his wife of 53 years.  They eloped on Halloween in 1970 in Las Vegas.  In 1971, Dexter, Ralphine and their oldest daughter, Sheraldine, packed up and moved to Tustin, CA.  It was here that Dexter decided Disneyland was just about the greatest place on earth – a feeling he has passed on to his kids and grandkids by taking them on many trips to both park locations.  While working on the GPS proof of concept in Southern California (Tustin, San Diego and Santa Maria), his family grew with the birth of another daughter, Kristine, and son David.   

In 1979, the family moved to Derby, Kan., where Dexter began working for Boeing Computer Systems and its Military Program. Dexter would remain with Boeing until his retirement, specializing in instrumentation for test vehicles. During his long tenure he worked both in Derby and Philadelphia on projects including the Spanish Tanker, Black Condo, KC-135R and Comanche programs.  While at Boeing, Dexter received six patents for video imaging and 3-D glasses.  Dexter worked on many more projects, but took his security clearance very seriously and would never discuss with his family what he did at work all day.  It wasn’t until many years later that his family learned a small part of his work life. 

Dexter was a very brilliant man. He was a member of Mensa, a small aircraft pilot, an amateur radio operator, a worldwide traveler and an amazing husband and father.  His wife and kids never wanted for anything.  Ralphine often mentions she would just say in passing how she would like this or that and Dexter would get it for her.  

He would tell his kids how he grew up dirt poor with his four siblings, Majella (Don) Flugum (Lake Mills, IA), Kathy (Lew) Brewster (Merced, CA), Loren (Sharon) Schnebly (Osage Beach, MO) and Leona (Romero) Guzman (Merced, CA) and how he and his parents and three of his siblings would pile into a VW bug and travel all over the United States every summer. He loved to be on the go and visit as many places and gain as many experiences as possible.  Because of his humble beginnings, he was always giving money to charities. Because of the lifestyle his education had given him, he was a champion of everybody he knew getting a college education.

He was preceded in death by his parents, brother.  In addition to his three siblings, Dexter is survived by his wife Ralphine, 2 daughters, Sheraldine (James) Schnebly Nash, Kristine (Chad) Lawhorn and son David (Mary Goedeke), grandchildren: Christine Schnebly, Mellissa Nash, Colby Lawhorn, Olivia Lawhorn, Elliot Goedeke Schnebly and Miranda Schnebly Goedeke and three great grandchildren: Kaylie and Jayden Bakstad and Serenity Schnebly.

Memorial contributions can be made to the Kansas Cosmosphere Camp Scholarships and sent to Warren-McElwain Mortuary.  Funeral services will take place at 1:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 6 at Warren-McElwain Mortuary, 120 W. 13th Street, Lawrence.