Vernon Walter Schoemaker, age 95, passed away on December 1, 2023, at his home in Irving, Texas, surrounded by his loving family and under the gentle care of VITAS Healthcare (hospice). Vernon was born in Scotia, Nebraska, to Walter Arthur Schoemaker and Elsie Christine Hermsmeyer Schoemaker. He was the second eldest of eight children—Verneice (John), Vernon (Barbara), Wayne (Gloria), Willis (Sally), Eleanor (Bernie), Ellen (Floyd), Darlene (Don), and Daryl (Rita).
Vernon served in the United States Navy in occupation forces after World War II. After he left military service, he married Barbara Jean Trafton in July of 1950, in Mankato, Minnesota. They made their first home in Amarillo, Texas, where Vernon sold used cars for his uncle, Omar Hermsmeyer.
Barbara and Vernon had three children—David (Dyanna Brown), Douglas (Martha Salinas), and Debbie (Joe Ezzell), eight grandchildren—Jereme Schoemaker (Deirdre), Joshua Schoemaker (Kim), Jonathan Schoemaker (Nicole), Joe Ezzell (MacKenzie), Jeffrey Schoemaker, Lindsey Ezzell (Cade Simpson), Jacob Ezzell (Kelci), and James Schoemaker, and thirteen great-grandchildren— Taylor Schoemaker, Ethan Schoemaker, Trinity Schoemaker, Kenzie Schoemaker, Van Schoemaker, Liam Schoemaker, Cooper Simpson, Camden Simpson, Lumi Ezzell, Evelyn Schoemaker, Nevina Schoemaker, Joe Woodard Ezzell III, and Gunnar Ezzell.
Vernon and Barbara moved to Irving, Texas, in 1968 to open Toyota of Irving, which remains a family-owned business to this day. In the beginning, the dealership had a good month when they sold thirty cars. By 1979, they were selling up to seventy cars a month. The business continued to thrive, and a new, state-of-the art building opened on Airport Freeway in 2015. The success of the business was largely due to Vernon’s keen business acumen and his incredible work ethic—he was known to work up to sixteen hours a day at “the store,” as he called it. Vernon and Barbara recently celebrated their 73rd anniversary, another amazing accomplishment.
Vernon was a member of the Irving Noon-Day Lion’s Club and Plymouth Park Baptist Church, and he was an avid hunter who continued to hunt into his nineties. Even though he struggled with congestive heart failure for several years, he fought hard and never gave up until his body failed him.
Visitation will be held at the Colonial Funeral Home in Irving on December 12th from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. A funeral service will be held at 11:00 a.m. on December 13th at Plymouth Park Baptist Church, followed by a reception at the Las Colinas Country Club. Burial will be held on a future date at the Dallas-Fort Worth National Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that those who wish to express sympathy consider making a donation in Vernon’s name to the American Heart Association or the Irving Noon-Day Lions Club.
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