Mike Schul, 75, of Holton (formerly Garden City), passed away peacefully at his home on Saturday, April 26, 2025.
He was born on August 10, 1949, in Odessa, Texas to Lloyd and Evelyn Schul. Mike attended Odessa Permian High School for his sophomore and junior years before graduating from Comanche High School in 1967. A talented swimmer, he competed throughout high school and narrowly missed qualifying for the 1968 Olympics. He later attended San Angelo State College.
Mike began his career installing x-ray equipment. He then moved to Crane, Texas where he spent five years with a petroleum company before moving to Garden City, Kansas, where he joined Southwestern Bell/AT&T. He worked there until he retired in 2008. Following retirement, Mike and Barb relocated to Holton to be near Sarah, Keith and the boys.
Deeply involved in his community, Mike coached the Garden City YMCA swim team and played a key role in establishing the first swim team at Garden City High School, where he also served as the inaugural coach. Mike’s love for sports was matched only by his dedication to his family; he could often be found in the bleachers, offering enthusiastic support to his daughter and, in later years, his grandsons and their teammates.
Mike was a member of St. Dominic Catholic Church in Holton and belonged to Holton Knights of Columbus Council 4219. He was also a proud member of the AT&T Pioneers, Holton Youth Basketball Association, and High School Booster Club.
On October 25, 1980, he married Barb Meister in Great Bend. She survives him at their home.
He was preceded in death by his parents and a brother, Patrick Schul.
Survivors include his daughter, Sarah DeDonder (Keith) of Holton; a brother, Terry Schul (Mary) of Cloudcroft, NM; and three grandsons: Kerrick, Kason, and Kolden DeDonder.
A Memorial Service will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Friday, May 9, at Chapel Oaks Funeral Home in Holton, followed by burial at Mt. Calvary Cemetery. Visitation will be Thursday evening from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. at the funeral home.
Memorial contributions are suggested to the Holton High School Boys Basketball team and may be sent in care of the funeral home at PO Box 1034, Holton, KS 66436.
