T. Dankward Schmalbruch

T. Dankward Schmalbruch, 8/15/1932 – 10/18/2023
T. Dankward (Don) Schmalbruch of Doylestown, PA died peacefully in his sleep on October 18, 2023. With him at his side were his wife Erika of 65 years and their two children, Christian and Anja. He was 91.
Born in Braunschweig, Germany on August 15, 1932, Dankward was the eldest of five children. His family moved to eastern Germany during World War II, living on a military airport base by the war's end. After the war ended, his father was a prisoner of war and the rest of the family escaped East Germany back to Braunschweig in West Germany. There they lived in a bombed-out apartment building missing two outside walls and life was difficult. The family depended on Dankward for their survival until his father found them. As a refugee, he was unable to continue his formal education, however, Dankward attended music school and enrolled in an apprenticeship to become an electrical engineer, which he really liked. He passed all test levels on the first try, much to his examiner's surprise. He continued his education while working for the German Post as a draftsman. The time Dankward spent at the airport brought to light his passion for flight. As soon as he turned 21, he took lessons and became a glider pilot.
His younger brother Klaas became an exchange student at George School (Newtown PA) and lived with Colbert and Dorothy Thomas and their sons. Without a complete formal education there was little advancement opportunity for Dankward in Germany. Klaas had a solution though, which prompted an invitation by Colbert and Dorothy Thomas for Dankward to come to the US. He arrived in 1955 to start a new life and became known as Don. He was drafted into the US Army in 1956, trained at Fort Gordon, Georgia, and quickly completed his GED. In 1957, he proposed by mail to his girlfriend who was still in Germany and hoped to bring her to Bucks County to be married. As chance would have it, the US Army posted Don to Heidelberg, Germany while still a German citizen, which he found amusingly ironic. Don and Erika were married in Bad Godesberg in 1958 and one year later, son Christian was born. The young family returned to Newtown, PA to live with the Thomas's again, now known as Mom and Dad with three brothers, Garry, George, and Bob. As soon as he was eligible, Don became a US citizen in 1960.
When a caretaker position became available at Wrightstown Friends Meeting, Don and Erika were excited to get the job and move into the house that came with it in 1961. Daughter Anja was born there. The Meeting membership was a warm and strong community resulting in many life-long friendships and Don and Erika were active members and volunteers for over 50 years.
Don worked for Honeywell where he designed a specialty direct current motor. When Honeywell passed on the opportunity to manufacture it, Don co-founded Inertial Motors Corp. in Doylestown to produce it. He continued to work as an inventor and become involved in production and marketing. He joked that his second job as caretaker, which sometimes included grave digging at the Meeting cemetery, required more heavy lifting. Don and Erika bought a house and moved to Doylestown in 1970.
Don was multi-talented. He enjoyed photography and had his own darkroom. He loved all music and sang and played guitar. He sang bass with the Peddler's Pack, an a cappella group that sang locally and participated in the annual Spring Sing, a festive gathering of a cappella groups from across the US which the Peddler's Pack hosted in 1975. Don and Erika joined the Phillips Mill Community Association in New Hope, where Don enjoyed acting in plays and cabarets. He thought it was fun to be several different people in one evening. When Erika lost her brother, she gifted Don with her inheritance to renew his pilot's license in 1978. First Don got his single engine pilot's license and then his glider pilot's license. He loved giving rides, especially to his grandchildren. Don was close to many who loved him for his sense of humor and his sincere compassion. He soared in life as he soared in the sky, and we trust he is soaring still.
He is survived by his wife, Erika, son Christian (Pat) and daughter Anja Strathdee; brother Neils (Krista), sisters-in-law Hilke and Petra, brother-in-law Jens Hinrichs, his American brothers Garry Thomas (Connie) and Bob Thomas (John), his grandchildren Lauren and Sarah Schmalbruch, Douglas and Ellie Strathdee, and many cherished nieces and nephews. He is predeceased by brothers Klaas and Jan, his sister Antje Hinrichs, George and Ramona Thomas and his son-in-law Ted Strathdee.
A celebration of life memorial service will be held on Sunday, November 12, 2023, at 2:00 PM at Wrightstown Friends Meeting at 535 Durham Road, Newtown, PA 18940.
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