Fenris Walden Schussler
August 21, 1940 - March 8, 2020

Fenris “Fen” Walden Schussler, 79, passed peacefully away at his home in Leland, North Carolina on March 8, 2020 after a brave battle with Leukemia. His final days were spent surrounded with family, friends and love. The youngest of 4 children, he was born on August 21, 1940 to Emma and Leodegar Schussler in Queens, NY. Fen lived a life full of adventure and love. He never spoke of regrets. He left no box unchecked. He had time and a smile for every person he encountered. He was always handsome, with even the sweet nurses at the hospital, near the end, commenting on his good hair, blue eyes and kind
demeanor. Yet another testament to what a genuinely likeable man Fen was, his
careers revolved around working with others. He served as a Military Police in the Army and then in the National Guard. He was a ski instructor in the Poconos. He worked for IBM as a Customer Engineer and then for Kodak from which he retired. In retirement he worked at Foxwoods Casino, dealing Blackjack and Roulette, and no doubt friendly conversation and laughs. Early on, he enjoyed working on his Moto Guzzi and Harley Davidson
motorcycles and the ’68 Corvette that he restored and finished himself. He owned his own Dragster, which he raced almost every weekend.
Later, he and his wife, Mary, settled in Leland, NC on the golf course
where he made wonderful friends. His brother and sister eventually
moved around the corner, staying as close as they had always been.
He spent his retirement doing what he enjoyed most: golfing; skiing;
spending weekends at their condo at Okemo Mountain in Vermont and
traveling the world with Mary, his siblings and his friends; working in
the yard; walking their dog Vanna; and appreciating his life and the
people around him. And, oh, how he loved to dance!
He married the love of his life, Mary, on August 7, 1982 and gained 4 more children that he adored alongside his own daughter, Dana. Fen’s
bond with his stepchildren was no different than if they had been related by blood.
He is preceded in death by his brother Caron and his parents Emma
and Leodegar Schussler.
He is survived by his wife, Mary and his children Dana Garrison (Rob), Jeanne Church, Joanne Lyttle, Joe Paragona Jr., and Jayne Paragona as well as his brother Leo Schussler (Helen) and sister Inge Ehner (John). He also leaves behind grandchildren Shaun Church, Cady
Jones, Joe Paragona III, Harry Lyttle, Jack Paragona and Leo Garrison III, who inherited Fen’s good hair and love of ice cream. Nieces, nephews and a lifetime of friends will miss him deeply. He would tell you, if he could, that he was a lucky man. But those he left behind would argue that they were the lucky ones.
A memorial service will take place on Saturday, March 14 th at St. Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran Church in Wilmington, NC followed by a Celebration of Life at the Magnolia Greens Golf Club.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be sent to St. Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran Church in Wilmington, NC or the SECU Family Home in Chapel Hill, NC.
Coastal Cremations is serving the family.