Theodore Anthony (Ted) Schuler

KNOXVILLE - Theodore Anthony (Ted) Schuler, age 89, of Knoxville, TN, died Thursday, November 30, 2023, at Fort Sanders Hospital. A civil engineer and philosopher, Ted’s favorite oft-repeated saying was “Reality is what you perceive it to be.” In 1984, he wrote a book about his philosophical beliefs -You Too Are Gods – that was finally published and made available on Amazon in 2020 with help from daughter Ellen. Ted loved to grow and can his own vegetables and used a gas-powered rototiller in his garden up into his 80s. After he had to give up the rototiller, he continued to grow strawberries and blackberries in his backyard, care for 40 indoor house plants, and enjoy the many birds that came to his feeders. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, he practiced public speaking as a member of the Toastmasters Club. In the 1990s-2000s he was a member of Volunteer Grange in South Knoxville, participated in Volunteer Grange community service projects to help build the original Fort Kid and Plant the (World’s Fair) Park, and was caretaker of the Volunteer Grange swimming pool for several years. In the late 1990s he worked with Knox Land and Water Conservancy on an early conservation project for Beaver Creek. He enjoyed building projects large and small from the floor to ceiling Crab Orchard stone wall behind a wood stove in his den to the bird feeder he rebuilt several times as the parts wore out. Before his first heart attack in 1998, he had almost completed his most ambitious building project – a log cabin in the woods. From 1957-60, he served as LTJG in the United States Navy Reserve supervising engineering projects and enjoyed telling stories about his time spent with the Navy in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Ted was the son of Henry Raymond Schuler and Virginia Barbara Meisner Schuler of Louisville, KY and grew up in Louisville. He received his B.C.E. from the University of Louisville in 1957 and MEng in 1973. In his professional career he was design construction engineer for Brighton Engineering, Frankfort, KY 1960-65, design engineer for Hensley-Schmidt Inc., Chattanooga, TN 1965-68, associate member 1969-73, senior associate member 1973-75, principal assistant vice-president head Knoxville office 1975-81, and assistant director engineering department City of Knoxville 1981 until retirement in 1996. He was also a Fellow of American Society of Civil Engineers and received an Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award from Marquis Who’s Who Publications Board. Ted was preceded in death by his parents and his brother Frank Schuler of Louisville, KY. He is survived by his wife of 44 years Jane Bandy Schuler, children Marc Schuler of Alamosa, CO, Elizabeth Schuler (Todd) Smith of Kettering, OH, Eric Schuler of Atlanta, GA, and Ellen Schuler of Chicago, IL, grandchildren Alex Smith and Serena Smith, and brothers Hank (Kathy) Schuler of San Francisco, CA, and Richard (Melinda) Schuler of Louisville, KY. Online memories and condolences can be expressed at www.rosefuneraltn.com.