March 18th, 1924 - December 13th, 2020
Elaine Topka Schumann, age 96, of Boulder, Colorado, died December 13, 2020. She was born Elaine Anne Topka, the youngest child of parents Frank and Marie Topka. Elaine grew up in Hopkins, Minnesota, but spent much of her childhood living with grandparents in New Prague. She graduated from Hopkins High School with honors, having participated in the state’s first high school Advanced Placement program. Elaine graduated with distinction from the University of Minnesota in 1946 with a Bachelor’s degree in Medical Technology. Early in her career, she worked for the U.S. Air Force School of Aviation Medicine at Randolph Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas, where she participated in research on the effects of high altitude on the human body, coauthoring several premier technical papers on this research. This pioneering work contributed to the early foundations of the Nation’s space program.
Elaine married Aubrey P. Schumann of New Braunfels, Texas in 1951. The couple moved to New York where Elaine worked at Columbia University Medical Center hospital while her husband pursued postgraduate studies in meteorology for the Air Force. His assignments took them to Carswell AFB in Fort Worth and Eielson AFB near Fairbanks, Alaska. Upon completion of Aubrey’s tours of duty in 1955, they returned to civilian life in Minnesota, where Aubrey and Elaine became parents of four children: Paul, Randall, Donald and Laura.
After several work-related moves to Texas and back to Minnesota, the family finally settled in Boulder in 1968, where Aubrey worked for the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR). Elaine began a distinguished career in various key positions including respiratory, cardiac, and neurologic technician at the Boulder Medical Center that spanned more than 20 years. Elaine loved traveling with her husband and family, especially several extended trips abroad studying Czech language and history at Charles University (Univerzita Karlova) in Prague with her son, Don.
Elaine is survived by her son Paul and wife Kathie of Waco, Texas; her son Randall, of Lakewood, Colorado; her son Donald, wife Anita, and granddaughter Helena of Boulder, Colorado; and daughter Laura of Zanesville, Ohio. She was preceded in death by her husband, Aubrey; her parents, Frank and Marie Topka; and by her brother Raymond and sister Elsie Mae.
Elaine will be buried next to her husband, brother, and sister-in-law at Resurrection Catholic Cemetery in Mendota Heights, Minnesota. A Memorial Mass and celebration of Elaine’s life will be scheduled for a later date.
The family requests that no flowers be sent. They suggest planting a tree in her name, or making a donation in Elaine's name to the charity of their choice or to the American Stroke
Association.
