Patricia Ann Comer Schneider

Patricia lived life to the fullest and enjoyed many adventures. At the time of her death, she was about to take a trip to eastern Europe and another to Mexico. Her last great adventure was a month long excursion in Africa. She was a caring person who always had a kind word for everyone, and was always willing to help anyone in need. Her enthusiasm for life, her boundless energy, her can do attitude made her a role model for all, and she will be dearly missed by many.

She was born July 26, 1926 in Cincinnati, Ohio, to Wallace and Mary Comer.

A ballerina since the age of 4, Patricia danced professionally for the first time at the age of 14 and throughout high school and college. She earned a bachelor's degree in psychology from the University of Cincinnati and a master's degree in education from Xavier University. She then worked for Shillitoes Department Store in Cincinnati from 1948 to 1953 as a department store buyer, and as a young career woman was featured in Mademoiselle magazine.

She received her pilots license in 1954 and piloted "Red Rover," her own single-engine plane on many adventures including her move to Corpus Christi, Texas, in 1953. She was a member of the 99’s woman’s flying club. She first worked in Texas as a department store training director. Later moving to Midland in 1955 to teach Distributive Education at Midland High School until 1957. Here, she met and married Tom Schneider, an independent geologist, on June 23, 1956. Tom was president of the bachelors Club at the time and had to resign because of his marriage to Patricia.

Together Tom and Patricia had six children, as Patricia stayed busy with their education and activities. (She would later take great pride when all of her

children obtained college degrees, including five masters and a Ph.D.) The family moved to their ranch in Eagle Pass for ten years and returned to Midland in 1980.