Obituary of Homer David Schoen

Homer Schoen, 96, died on February 20, 2020 at his home in Rockport, Maine. He is remembered by those who knew him for his boundless curiosity and enthusiasm, the diversity of his interests and talents, his “larger-than-life” presence, and his love of music. Homer was born to Elizabeth and Charles Schoen in Mount Vernon, NY, on May 27, 1923, the second of four children. The family spent summers at their home in Hopkinton, NH—a formative landscape which he would later draw upon in a basement-spanning model train layout, for which he designed and decorated all the scenery by hand. In 1940, Homer enrolled at Columbia University, where he was active on the rowing team, the chapel chorus, the Sachems Senior Honorary Society, and the Executive Board of the Dormitory Council. He interrupted his studies to enlist in the war in 1943, serving in the Army Air Corps as a weather observer, but he returned to graduate in 1946, followed by an MBA degree from Harvard Business School in 1951. His career in sales and public relations led him from Standard Brands (including a stint in Bogota, Colombia), to Lever Brothers, to Session Clocks, Speidel, and finally to a long career at Xerox, where he worked until his retirement in 1989. In 1957, Homer married Patricia Cobb, of Westhampton Beach, NY. The couple lived in assorted locations in New England and New York, and raised one son, David. Following their divorce, Homer married Lynn Carlson in 1966, and relocated to Pound Ridge, New York, where they raised four children: Christopher, Mary, Nina, and Joey. In the 1970s, Homer and Lynn published a newsletter, Focus, for the Pound Ridge Community Church. Homer managed the graphic-design side of things, teaching himself layout, print production and photography along the way, including the setup of a working darkroom in the basement. Homer was also on the administrative board of the church, and taught Sunday school, a position which he threw himself into with relish, employing visual aids and theatrical techniques to keep his students engaged. He later attended St. Francis Episcopal Church in Stamford, CT, where he sang bass in the choir, and played in the bell choir. Homer was an avid landscaper and gardener, meticulously mapping out flower beds and shrub placement at the Pound Ridge home, planting flowering trees, and building his own stone retaining walls. He was also a skilled carpenter, designing and building built-in shelves and cabinets, and later a deck and treehouse. He loved cycling, especially long touring trips with his sons through New England. Homer was a lifelong student of Civil War history, inspired primarily by the moral leadership of President Lincoln during a time of national crisis, and by the war’s critical impact on the fate of the country’s African American population. This interest dovetailed with a long-time involvement with issues of civil rights and urban renewal. During his time at Xerox he was actively involved in the United Way annual fund. After his retirement, Homer took a position at The National Urban League as Vice President of Marketing. In the mid-1990s, he became involved in the Pound Ridge Democratic Party, culminating in an unsuccessful bid for Town Supervisor in 1997. He later served as Chair of the Facility Advisory Committee for the Bedford School District, where his kids attended, helping to oversee much-needed renovations. Homer and Lynn retired to Rockport in 2004, drawn to the beautiful countryside of mid-coast Maine, the warm, down-to-earth friendliness of the community, and the unhurried pace of life. Upon settling in, he joined the Down East Singers, first as a baritone in the chorus, and later as the organization’s Treasurer and Board Chairman. He stayed active with the DES until the age of 90. For many years he was a member of the Episcopal Church of St. John Baptist, in Thomaston, ME, serving as Chairman of the Outreach Committee. In his later years he enjoyed cooking, gardening, and writing his memoirs. Homer was predeceased by his brother Donald, his sister Alice, his first wife, Patricia, and son David. He is survived by his wife Lynn, his brother, Alan Schoen (Reiko), his children Chris, Mary, Nina, and Joey, his children-in-law Moira, Bruce, and John, his grandchildren Fletcher, Patrick, and Madrona, and his nieces and nephews Robert, John, Susan, Claire, Catherine, Andy, and Alison. In lieu of flowers, please consider memorial contributions to the Southern Elections Fund, at http://www.southernelectionsfund.org/