Charles R. Schneider Jr.

On July 1, 2022, Charles Robert Schneider, Jr., “Chuck,” ended his 63-year long joyful journey around the sun, surrounded by his family and a great deal of love. He was a young man by the world’s standards, but he managed to pack at least a hundred years of experience into this time—while taking many years off the lives of those who loved him best in the process.

Chuck was born in 1959 in Dalton, Georgia, to Charles & Laura (Davenport) Schneider. He was the long-awaited son after three failed attempts had produced only daughters. Chuck instantly became the spoiled ruler of his little kingdom, especially adored by his “accessory” sisters. As he frequently reminded us, if he was trouble, it was probably our fault.

Always curious about how things worked, he taught himself by taking things apart and generally putting them back together again. Over the years, this creative deconstruction graduated from radios and small electronics to televisions, cars, air conditioners and houses. He was glad to point out that eventually he made a living from his mechanical skills.

Chuck was a study in contrasts. He didn’t love school, but he read the entire set of World Book Encyclopedias at night. You wanted him on your trivia team, but you didn’t want to be his insurance carrier.

Chuck loved this country and was deeply patriotic. He was a proud Army veteran serving during the Cold War years at Fort Bliss (he considered the name a violation of truth in advertising) and in the Hawkfire Missile Group in Germany. He was proud to be an expert marksman.

He had strong opinions about everything which he was delighted to share unprompted with close friends and total strangers. (Strangers being a category he refused to recognize, as he believed we were supposed to get to know each other while we were here on Earth.) He was the guy who struck up a conversation with you in the check-out line. He was the person who stopped to help people change their flat tire. A raised hood in a parking lot or on the side of the road was a siren’s call for him—he would force you to let him help you.

Chuck loved Dr. Pepper, Corky’s BBQ, and a Canadian tuxedo. He was a life-long NASCAR fan and loved fast cars and exceeding limits of all kinds. He survived more medical crises than could be imagined, and was delighted to share vivid details at the most inappropriate time. He thought of rules as general recommendations and accepted and survived every dare ever issued.

Above all else, Chuck had a generous heart. He shared all he had without reservation or the expectation of payback. He loved family and friends fiercely and deeply. And he was always hopeful about the future.

He is survived by his daughter Myah, his sisters Sherrie Ledford and Susan Stephenson, his brother in law Tom Stephenson and a host of beloved nieces, nephews, great nieces and great nephews. He is predeceased by his parents, his sister Patty McManus, and his brother in law Larry Ledford.

He spent the last six months of his life in hospitals and received incredible care and compassion from the folks at St Francis, Methodist University, Regional One and the Waters of Memphis. We are grateful he is now healed and whole in heaven.

Please celebrate Chuck’s life with a random act of kindness or donations to St Jude Children’s Hospital or the Wounded Warriors Foundation.

A private funeral service will be held on Saturday, July 9, 2022, at Chattanooga Funeral Home with burial at Forest Hills Cemetery in Chattanooga.

Arrangements by Chattanooga Funeral Home – East Chapel, 404 S. Moore Rd. East Ridge, TN 37412.