Fish feared him. They can rest easy with the passing of Troy James Exler, 58, of Arnold, Missouri. He was pronounced deceased on November 5, 2026.
Troy was born on October 2, 1968, to Marlyn Witte and Terry Dean. Marlyn later married Kenneth Exler. Ken adopted Troy when he was a child and loved Troy as his own.
Troy had a wit and sense of sarcasm that could rival the best.
He was quite an athlete, and he loved playing men’s slowpitch softball, usually as pitcher or shortstop. Two particularly special teams he was a part of were the Fugitives and a team named GR8 Day. Both teams were made up of family and friends, and Troy played on them for over 25 years. He also played on numerous softball leagues and in tournaments. Watching Troy on the field as always fun and our memories cheering the teams on will always hold a special place in our hearts. As he grew older, his love of coaching his daughter’s softball teams, turned into a love of coaching girls’ fastpitch softball. He and his dear friend Michael Howard (Howie) started the Reaper Fastpitch youth softball organization. Troy and Howie coached together for over 10 years. Troy has influenced the lives of hundreds of young softball players.
The woods and the waters were his respite. He joined his fishing buddies for their annual trip around Veteran’s Day for over 10 years. His fishing companions and hunting buddies were his brothers.
Troy was proud of his career as a journeyman wireman through the IBEW Local #1. Troy became a Master Electrician and after working together for many years, Troy and Bryan Crady branched out on their own and created Electrical & Data Service Company. After Bryan retired, his son Kevin and Troy continued as owners and operators of the company. Troy was beloved and respected by numerous coworkers, clients, and business connections. The electricians he worked with were like his second family.
In his last few weeks, Troy was fortunate enough to have been a proud father of the bride. Our memories of that weekend will live forever.
We know the fish are biting in the great beyond. The ripples Troy left on the surface of this world will continue spreading for generations to come.
Troy was predeceased by his parents and grandparents. He is survived by his wife Sheryl Exler, his daughter and son-in-law Danielle and Gage Wixler, and his siblings Sue Bray (married to Ed Bray), Kevin Exler (married to Kristi Exler), Keith Exler (married to Sue Exler), and Addie Kurtz. He is also survived by his half-brother Timothy Dean, and nieces and nephews Katie Janssen, Kandyce Exler, Katlynd Picerno, Rusty Bray, Kami Gonzales, Kody Exler, Julia Lappe, Allison Kurtz, and Shawn Kurtz.
Visitation and Celebration of Life will be held within Jefferson Barracks Park, at the event space at the Missouri Civil War Museum, which is located at 222 Worth Rd., St. Louis, MO 63125. A gathering of friends will be held on Thursday, Nov. 12th, from 5 to 9 PM. Doors open for the Celebration of Life on Saturday, November 14th at 10AM, and the service will start at 11. You will be invited to share your “Troy stories” if you wish. Please check social media or contact the family to join the Livestream of his Celebration of Life.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to NAMI (the National Alliance on Mental Illness; donate (nami.org), BoatUS Foundation for Boating Safety and Clean Water (boatus.org/donate/), or the Missouri Conservation Heritage Foundation (this is the partner foundation for the Missouri Department of Conservation; mochf.org/donate-online/). You may donate online or bring the donation with you.
Thank you to Kutis Funeral Home in South County for facilitating the cremation.