Adolph Louis "Lou" Scheibel, age 92, passed away peacefully in Littleton, Colo. on March 13, 2008.

He was born to Ludwig J. Scheibel and Emilie (Betteken) Scheibel on May 16, 1915 in O'Fallon, Ill. He was preceded in death by his brother Joseph, his sister Amelia Schwaegel, his wife of 53 years Virginia Dell (nee Schaefer) Scheibel, and his daughter Sandra Ann McDonald.

Survivors include his daughter, Mary Dell Vinnola-(Bob) Prinsteiner; son, Robert Louis Scheibel (Colonel, USAF, Retired) (Susan); son-in-law, Doug McDonald, four grandchildren and three great grandchildren.

After attending St. Louis University for two years, Lou and Ginny were married on October 20, 1937. They moved to San Diego, Calif. in 1939 where Lou began working for Consolidated-Vultee Aircraft Corporation on the B-24 Flight Line. Thirty-seven years later, he retired in 1976 from General Dynamics as an aerospace engineer. During his career, he was involved in flight operations of many different Convair aircraft including the B-36, T-29, 240, 340 and 440; numerous static rocket engine tests in the California high desert; the Atlas ICBM Missile Activation Program which took the family to Wyoming, Kansas, and Oklahoma; and dozens of missile launches at the Western Missile Test Range, Vandenberg AFB, Calif. He was especially proud of his contributions to his country during WWII and the Cold War.

Lou's passions included airplanes and rocketry, cars, tinkering, gardening, history, reading, dogs, traveling and cooking. A family tradition on Saturday night was his homemade vegetable soup.

A graveside service will be held at 11:00am on Saturday April 5th at Mt. Calvary Catholic Cemetery, Shiloh, Ill., with Msgr. William Hitpas presiding. Burial will be for both Lou and Ginny who will be "brought home" together. Please make memorial donations to your favorite charity.