Anar Tarto Schineis

Anar Tarto Schineis, 88, passed away on April 21, 2026. Born on June 15, 1937 in Narva, Estonia to Oscar and Frieda Tarto, she came to the United States in 1949 as a displaced person following World War II. Her family eventually settled in the Franklin Square, NY area where she graduated from Sewanhaka High School. She married Eugene Schineis and they raised their family in Setauket, NY. They moved to St. Augustine, FL in 1983. Anar loved her weekly mahjong group and bridge games. Most important to her were her children and their families who she doted on, sewing memory quilts and annual holiday pajama pants, baking endless brownies and cookies, hosting Grandma and Grandpa summer camps, casting shrimp nets, and engaging in dock talks as the grandchildren got older. She shared her heritage by making Estonian holiday bread and pirikus for family gatherings and imparted incredible stories of her family’s escape to the free world. Her warmth and giving spirit made her house a home for her entire family.

Anar leaves behind her children, John (Theresa) Schineis of Palm City, FL; Lynn Schineis of Leicester, NC; Inge Schineis of Coral Springs, FL; and Glenn Schineis of Jacksonville, FL; grandchildren, Kirsten (Greg) Miller, Michelle (Wes) Hurley, Brittany (Jay) Bujalski, Justine (Eric) Cote, Erik Schineis, Adam Schineis, Evan Jimenez, Sam Schineis, and David Schineis, and 5 great grandchildren, Malcolm Cote, River Rose Cote, Cameron Hurley, Jackson Bujalski and Charlotte Anar Hurley. She was predeceased by her husband of 52 years, Eugene Schineis.

A Celebration of Life will be held on Saturday, May 16 at 2:00 with a reception to follow at Hardage-Giddens Funeral Home. In lieu of flowers, your thoughts and prayers and remembering how she touched your life are appreciated.