Always a man of the ocean

LELAND SCHIEFELBEIN

Born: April 26, 1930

Died: Nov. 10, 2005

Services: Held for family and friends

Survived by: His wife, Nancy Schiefelbein; his sons, Dan and Bruce Schiefelbein; his daughters, Lori Thimsen and Arlene Kuske; and seven grandchildren

The moment is frozen in Nancy Schiefelbein’s mind. And it is captured in a breathtaking photo that she keeps by her side.

The color picture shows the sunset on the day of her husband’s burial at sea. On that afternoon, while the family was heading out into the Pacific, the boat captain honked the horn to alert passengers of an unusual sighting.

“He said, ‘You folks, you don’t know what you are seeing,’ ” Nancy Schiefelbein said.

Hundreds of dolphins had surrounded the boat.

“He always loved the beauty and grace of dolphins,” Nancy Schiefelbein said of her husband. “It was an amazing moment.”

Leland Schiefelbein, a Newport Beach resident, died Nov. 10. He was 75.

Leland Schiefelbein, born in Nebraska, moved to Southern California when he was 11 years old.

He and his future wife graduated from Glendale High School. But they did not start dating until after they had left the school.

The two were married in 1952 while Leland Schiefelbein was in the Naval Reserve. He later served in active duty.

After a medical discharge, the two returned to Los Angeles, where he attended UCLA as a business administration major. Leland Schiefelbein sang during college and traveled the country with the Roger Wagner Chorale.

After graduation, the family moved to Orange County, where Leland Schiefelbein was active in UCLA’s alumni association.

“He was a ravenous UCLA fan,” said Lori Thimsen, Schiefelbein’s daughter. “I loved those driving trips and screaming for the Bruins, and talking about the plays all the way home.”

Thimsen said her father was a talented musician -- he played the ukulele, the guitar and the banjo -- and enjoyed singing and dancing.

“He would take me out on the dance floor and count quietly in my ear and lead me,” she said. “I thought, he can make me look so beautiful.”

Leland Schiefelbein began his career in marketing before becoming a real estate broker.

“He loved to talk to people. He had the gift of gab,” Nancy Schiefelbein said.

At R.A. Watt Construction Co., he was regional vice president for Orange County, helping to build the Los Coyotes community in Buena Park.

The family moved to Dallas in 1970 when he accepted a job as president of one of the largest home-building companies in Texas.

In 1973, Leland Schiefelbein started his own company, Schiefelbein Homes Inc.

“We thought we could build houses better than they could,” Nancy Schiefelbein said.

All four children helped out in the company, and Nancy Schiefelbein was the bookkeeper.

The company primarily built single-family tract homes. Leland Schiefelbein became one of the first City Council members in the then-new city of Flower Mound, Texas.

The Schiefelbeins returned to Orange County in 1996, as Leland entered retirement. He enjoyed painting and travel.

On a trip to Hawaii, Leland Schiefelbein purchased a bronze dolphin, which his wife still keeps in the home. Though travel was important to him, Nancy Schiefelbein said her husband was also content to be at home.

“He loved the area,” Nancy Schiefelbein said. “The beach was part of our life.”20060205itffwanc(LA)