Arthur Oliver Schwenke Obituary - Visitation & Funeral Information

Our beloved husband, father, grandfather, brother, and friend, Arthur Oliver Schwenke, passed away on August 8, 2015 at the age of 85, surrounded by family in Utah. Born September 29, 1929 in Papauta, Upolu Samoa, Arthur is the fifth son of Max and Moe Schwenke. He married the love of his life, Saini Pele Atoa on June 10, 1950. They were sealed for time and all eternity in the Hamilton New Zealand Temple on January 14, 1961. Theirs was a true love story. Saini was his queen and he her “King Arthur”. They embodied the scripture in Corinthians “neither is the man without the woman, neither the woman without the man, in the Lord.” They recently celebrated their 65th wedding anniversary. Theirs is an eternal union based on love, faith, and family. Arthur was a man of many talents. He studied accounting and accepted his first job at the New Zealand Reparation Estates, which later became WESTEC. After that, he spent 19 years working at H. & J. Retzlaff in various accounting and managerial positions. In 1969, Arthur resigned from H. & J. Retzlaff to start his own taxi business in Samoa called “Town Taxi Service”. Arthur was a man of dreams, and was always thinking about how he could support his family and be successful. Besides his entrepreneurial efforts, Arthur was a great teacher. He taught in the Church College of Western Samoa school system from 1969-1985. He taught everything from religion to accounting. However, some of his greatest teaching moments occurred while serving as the bishop of the Pesega 1st Ward. Arthur was ordained a bishop on March 18, 1962 by Elder Mark E. Petersen of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. In an effort to help raise money for the ward, Bishop Schwenke organized an entertainment group known as the Talofa Village. In the process, he helped change the lives of dozens of ward members and their posterity. Bishop Schwenke served faithfully for nearly 10 years and was then called to the stake High Council, where he served for 14 years before being released in 1983. Arthur and Saini left their beloved Samoa in 1985 to move to the United States to be closer to their children and grandchildren. In the U.S.A, he became affectionately known as “MacGyver” for being able to fix anything. Anytime a project needed to be done, a car needed to be fixed, or a meal needed to be made, you could always count on Grandpa Schwenke. He was always serving and always trying to lighten the load for somebody else. Though a quiet and humble man, Arthur Schwenke leaves a legacy of a giant. His acts of service and love have touched countless people and we know that the ripple effects of his kindness will never be known fully. He believed in God and he believed in family. He believed in loving one another and always sticking together. One of his most memorable sayings was “No man is an island. Nobody stands alone.” We know that is true, even in his passing. We know he is not alone. He has returned to our Heavenly Father and our Savior, Jesus Christ. He has been reunited with his parents, Max Schwenke and Moe Jane Ah Ching, his brothers Max Harold, Cyril Christopher, Charles Christopher and his sisters Silaina Jane McClain and Ella Thomsen, who all preceded him in death. We know that we will see him again, that the love we share will continue in the next life, and that families are forever. Arthur is survived by his beloved wife, Saini, and his children, Alvin (Ramona), Sam (Sandra), LaVon (Ricki), Lorrine (Scott), Art (Diana), Ula (Clement), Oliver (Fina), and Max (Leticia), as well as 26 grandchildren, and 24 great-grandchildren. The family would like to extend heartfelt thanks to the hospital staff at the Heart and Lung Center at Intermountain Medical Center in Murray, Utah for caring so lovingly for our “Pops” during his final days on this earth. Until the end, the Lord blessed Arthur with miracles and tender mercies to remind us of what a faithful man he was and what a remarkable life he lived. Memorial services for Arthur Schwenke will be held on Saturday, August 15, 2015 at the LDS Stake Center located at 1855 W. 13400 South in Riverton, Utah. A viewing will be held from 10am-11:30am. It will be followed by a memorial service from 12pm-2pm. The family will honor Arthur’s wishes to “go home” and be buried in his lovely Samoa. We love you, Pops. Manuia lau malaga.

Arthur Oliver Schwenke

September 29, 1929 - August 8, 2015