Obituary: Brian Eric Scheffler

Brian Eric Scheffler
December 16, 1959 – June 12, 2026
66 Years of age

 

There will be a Celebration Gathering for Brian Eric Scheffler at noon on Saturday, June 27, 2026, at the CAPPS Center in Stoneville, MS. A visitation will be held at the Boone Funeral Home in Leland, MS, from 5:00 to 7:00 pm on Friday, June 26, 2026.

Brian passed away on June 12, 2026, at home in Leland, surrounded by beloved family. He was born December 16, 1959, in Coldwater, Ohio, to David Ray Scheffler and Kathleen Ann (Hannon) Scheffler. He graduated from High School in West Bend, WI, and received his B.S. in Agronomy from University of Wisconsin–Madison. He went on to obtain a PhD in Plant Breeding and Cytogenetics from Iowa State University. After working for 12 years abroad as a Higher Scientific Officer at the John Innes Centre in Norwich, United Kingdom, and as a Project Leader in the Department of Applied Plant Molecular Biology at the University of Hamburg in Germany, he joined USDA ARS in 1998 at the newly established National Center for Natural Product Research in Oxford, MS. In 2002, he moved to USDA ARS Stoneville, MS, as a Computational Molecular Biologist, assigned to assist with genomics research, mainly in cotton, catfish, and soybean. From there, he went on to create the Genomics and Bioinformatics Research Unit that serves the USDA ARS on a national level and extends across four states. In 2024, he became the first Center Director of the Jamie Whitten Delta States Research Center at Stoneville and served until his death. Dr. Scheffler had a distinguished scientific career, as reflected by his selection as the 2024 Senior Scientist of the Year for the USDA Southeast Area and his USDA Secretary of Agriculture’s Abraham Lincoln Award in 2016. He also served as the National ARS Chief Scientific Information Officer for three years, contributing to the ARS Big Data Initiative and supporting advancements in high‑speed infrastructure and high‑performance computing (SCINet) that paved the way to today’s meta data and AI analyses.

Throughout life, he was dedicated to mentoring and creating opportunities for young people, especially those in scientific fields. He benefited from excellent mentors as he continued along his career journey and believed others should have the same support. He wanted his legacy to be successful scientists stepping up to be his successors and even more successful than he had been.

He truly enjoyed life through his gardening and travels. He was always interested in being with people and giving back to Leland, his special home for 24 years. He was active in Leland Habitat for Humanity / Leland Fuller Center for Housing, an avid supporter of the Delta Center Stage and A.R.R.F, as well as outreach activities in the local schools.

Brian is survived by his friend and wife of 37 years, Jodi Ann Scheffler, and his beloved four-legged family, BoBo, Chester, Tesla, and Toothless. His family includes his brother Mark (Nancy) Scheffler, niece Danielle Scheffler, nephew David (Kim) Scheffler, and special grand niece Lilly Scheffler.

The family would like to thank his Hospice caregivers, Mikayla, Trudy, Sara, Rose, and Pearlie, who made it possible for him to be at home and comfortable. The family would like you to hold your loved ones tight and keep doing those small acts of kindness that really make a difference. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to a charity of your choice.