Leland Allen Schneider

Leland Allen Schneider passed away peacefully on Saturday morning February 21, just five days before his 96th birthday. He resided at the Ohio Living Westminster Thurber community in Columbus, OH. Leland was widely known for his generosity, kindness, and humor to those fortunate to cross his path.

Leland was born on February 26, 1930 to Allen Joseph and Ellen Freida (Tong) Schneider in North Canton, Ohio. He was the third of four children in the family with older siblings, Arthur Lewis and Violet Elaine, and younger brother, Glenn Keith.

Leland attended Portage Street Elementary School in North Canton, and graduated from Hoover High School in 1948, where he excelled in baseball, basketball, football, and track and field. He attended Case Institute of Technology in Cleveland on a basketball scholarship and graduated in 1952 with a degree in Civil Engineering. Leland’s natural athletic abilities, combined with his joy of companionship, resulted in a lifetime of participation in a wide variety of activities.

After graduation, Leland worked for the Pennsylvania Railroad at the time of the Korean War. Though working for the railroad offered him an occupational deferment to the draft, he chose instead to enlist in the Navy in March of 1953. He went into the Seabees officer training program. Like his father and brother before him, Leland demonstrated his loyalty and commitment to his country by serving in its armed forces during a time of war.

Leland met Martha Marie Lebold of Boliver, OH in the summer of 1952; she would become the love of his life; and he proposed to her over Christmas that same year. They were married in August of 1953. Martha was Leland’s soulmate and best friend for the remainder of their lives.

Leland’s first duty station was in Peru, IN working on improvements to the Bunker Hill Naval Air Station. There, Martha gave birth to their first child, Deborah Jane. Leland next assumed a command position in operation ITEM in Nantucket, MA in January 1955. Leland’s Navy training instilled a “Can Do” (Seabee motto) work ethic, as well as discipline, and perseverance. These qualities would define Leland throughout his life. Leland earned an honorable discharge from the Navy in February 1956 at a rank of Lieutenant, Junior Grade.

After leaving military service, Leland and Martha moved to North Canton, OH where Leland was employed for 4 years with Republic Steel, Inc. Martha and Leland’s sons, Michael Lee and Thomas Allen, were born during this time. In 1960, Leland joined the Flexicore Company where he worked for 4 years. Leland and Martha bought their first home. They spent their free time renovating and decorating the small house. Leland proudly built custom furniture for the family.

In 1964, Leland joined the Price Brothers company, and moved his family of 5 to Worthington, OH. He spent 20 years with Price Brothers Co. before joining the American Precast Concrete Inc. in 1983. Leland retired as a licensed Civil Engineer in 1993 after having a career of over 40 years. During his career, Leland worked as a design engineer, sales engineer, and plant manager, working primarily with precast concrete structures. He was well respected in the building community throughout central Ohio. He was best known for his honesty, integrity, and attention to detail.

In retirement, Leland stayed active by volunteering for Habitat for Humanity, traveling domestically and internationally, working with wood and refinishing furniture, playing tennis, playing softball, biking, and attending to fatherly and grandfatherly duties.

In 2015, Leland and Martha moved from their home of 50 years in Worthington to the Ohio Living Westminster-Thurber Community in Goodale Landing. They were known within their community for their outreach and hospitality to neighbors and friends, for their warm and welcoming home, and their daily hand-in-hand walks. In June of 2022, Leland lost his beloved wife of nearly 70 years, Martha Marie.

Lee was a man of many facets, interests, and abilities.

Leland loved people; people of all ages, shapes, nationalities, colors, and persuasions. He was curious and loved hearing stories almost as much as he loved telling them. He loved his extended family, and was especially fond of his younger brother, Keith. He loved his children and his grandchildren, especially when he could play active games with them.

Leland was a musician. Leland had early musical interests, and, like his older siblings, he studied music in school. His favorite “instrument” was his voice, but playing percussion came in a close second. Lee sang in many choirs over his lifetime from childhood through his last year. When he travelled with family on vacation, he’d sing harmony to Martha’s lead. He was rhythmically gifted, playing percussion in the orchestra, concert band, marching band and a garage band. Leland appreciated all kinds of music; classical music, church music, popular music. But he loved jazz most of all! Music was the language of his heart.

Leland had a playful and mischievous side to him that persisted throughout his whole life. He leveraged his humor to be a ham, to make other people laugh, and to bring joy. Laughter was a constant when spending time with Leland.

Leland was a family man, a proud husband and dedicated father. He worked very hard to provide for his wife and children. He was a teacher and supporter of his active family at school, in church, on the playing fields, and at the park.

Leland was a life-time athlete. Running, jumping, and catching a ball came very naturally to Leland as a kid and he could excel in just about any sport. In high school, he earned letters in baseball, basketball, and track. While In college, on a basketball scholarship, the future hall of fame professional football coach, Lou Saban, asked Leland to go out for the football team.

Later in life, Leland remained active playing tennis, and senior softball. But bicycling became his passion. His long-distance bicycling took him to the remote corners of Ohio and throughout the United States. His enthusiasm for bicycling was unmatched when it came to the Pelotonia, a benefit ride to fund cancer research at the Ohio State University. A good part of his motivation for participation in Pelotonia was that Martha was a cancer survivor. Leland was a constant

inspiration for his family members in the joy, personal growth and community he found through sports.

Leland was an adventurer. He took his family on vacation every year, initially close to home, in tents, cabins or a fold-out camper. Later, he took his family on travels across the country, visiting many states and many National Parks. The travel bug persisted during his retirement years with trips to Mexico, Canada, England, Europe, and two trips to China.

Leland was a builder in both his trade and in his personal life. At work, Lee was involved in the concept, design, manufacturing, and construction of office buildings, parking garages, warehouses, and the like, using precast concrete building materials. In his personal life, he was always willing to pitch in with family home renovation projects: outside decks were a specialty.

Leland is survived by his three children, daughter Deb (Jim Murphy), sons Michael (Carolyn), and Tom (Leslie); five grandchildren, Alex and Will Murphy, Jessica, Kendall and Kaylyn Schneider; brother Glenn Keith Schneider and sister Violet Elaine Schlitt, and sister in-law Jane (Allen) Franks. He was preceded in death by his parents, his brother Arthur, and his dear wife, Martha.

A memorial celebration of Leland’s life will be held at the Schoedinger Funeral Home in Worthington Ohio, on Saturday, March 21, 2026 from 2 to 3pm, with a catered reception to follow. The celebration will continue just up the street at J Liu’s Restaurant, in the Pineapple room on the first floor at 4 pm.

To honor Leland, in lieu of flowers, you may wish to make a contribution to the Pelotonia (a charity supporting cancer research at OSU https://www.pelotonia.orgSchneider), The Alzheimer's Association at https://www.alz.org/Connection adaptivesportsconnection.org