Irwin Richard"Dick"Schneider

1921 - 2015. A long-time pillar of the Baton Rouge community, Irwin Richard "Dick" Schneider passed away April 10, 2015, at the young age of 93. Schneider was born on August 27, 1921, in Newark, New Jersey, as the oldest of three children born to Charles and Corinne (Hannoch) Schneider, who immigrated to the United States at the turn of the 20th century. He was a graduate of the Newark College of Engineering (NJIT) and Columbia University. Schneider was a World War II and Korean Conflict veteran who served his country for several years as an officer in the Pacific Fleet of the United States Navy. After the war, Schneider earned a Masters Degree in Industrial Engineering, moved to Baton Rouge and began his career with the Ethyl Corporation. He met his wife and mother of their three children, Patricia ("Pat") (Bymaster), in Baton Rouge and they were later married in 1951. After his retirement from Ethyl, Schneider pursued a professional interest in politics with the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry (LABI) as leader of the Louisiana Political Action Council (LAPAC), where he led the charge in progressive legislation designed to create a more productive business and labor environment in the State of Louisiana. Upon his retirement from LABI, Schneider played a key role in fund raising activities benefitting the School for the Coast and the Environment at Louisiana State University, where he was active for several years. Schneider began a long civic career in Baton Rouge in the mid-1950s which, overtime, included volunteer roles as President of the Baton Rouge Symphony, Chairman of the Greater Baton Rouge United Givers (United Way) and President of the Istrouma Area Council--Boy Scouts of America. Schneider was a very active participant in local, regional and national matters of the Boy Scouts of America, was a regular summer instructor at the Philmont Training Center in Cimarron, New Mexico, and played a central role in the development of Camp Avondale in Clinton, Louisiana. A stalwart advocate of adult literacy, Schneider was active in the development and leadership of literacy programs including Operation Upgrade of Baton Rouge. Schneider was a core member of the B'nai Israel Congregation, where he volunteered his time in the Sunday School program and administration. Schneider is preceded in death, by his wife, Pat (2008), and is survived by his three children and their spouses, Jeffrey and Cullene (Williamson) Schneider of Baton Rouge, Day (Schneider) and Roy Waggenspack of Baton Rouge and Charles ("Chip") and Jody (Boruch) Schneider of Houston, Texas; six grandchildren and their spouses, Jason and Sarah (Bock) Waggenspack, Jon Schneider, Emmett and Kelsey (Seip) Waggenspack, Sarah Schneider, Sydney Schneider and Samuel Schneider; and four great grandchildren, Keegan, Rylen, Sloane and Clayton.Schneider will be long remembered as a loving husband, father, grandfather and great grandfather; caring friend, neighbor, colleague and volunteer; vivid storyteller, ace poker player, torch runner for the 1996 Atlanta Summer Olympics, elder statesman, and servant leader. He will be greatly missed by all his family and the entirety of those he touched in all of his endeavors. A reception hosted by Schneider's children will be held at Congregation B'nai Israel, 3354 Kleinert Avenue in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, on Wednesday, April 15 beginning at 10:00 am. The reception will conclude with a memorial service at 2:00 pm.The family wishes to expressly thank St. James Place of Baton Rouge, Hospice of Baton Rouge and Dr. Louis Minsky for their remarkable and wonderful care. In lieu of flowers, the family encourages donations in Schneider's memory to the Istrouma Area Council--Boy Scouts of America, Congregation B'nai Israel or Hospice of Baton Rouge.