Donald R. Schneggenburger

Donald Richard Schneggenburger is the second son of Loretta and Joseph Schneggenburger, born in Buffalo on November 28, 1931. Don’s older brother Richard Joseph died as an infant in 1928, giving Donald his middle name. Don grew up in Kenmore on Tremont, attending St. Paul’s school. As a child his father took him regularly to museums and the Buffalo Zoo until he could pedal his bicycle to the zoo himself. His captivation with animals in the wild and history continued throughout his life. He also loved all things military especially the solemnity and precision of its traditions.

He met the love of his life Marilyn Gregoire at Kenmore High School, marrying July 11, 1953. He joined the Marine Corps after high school and was honorably discharged in 1952. He then followed his father Joe into Industrial Sales in Buffalo at National Grinding Wheel and retired from Conveyors and Drives. Sports and physical fitness were always an important part of Don and Marilyn’s life, following college sports as well as the Cleveland Browns and then the Buffalo Bills. Upon attending and being impressed by the popular annual Buffalo Turn Verein Circus, they joined and raised their growing family of three daughters Karen, Diane and Nancy within its activities and German culture. They had many friends and roles in the Turners, participating in sports, announcing circuses and gymnastics events and organizing gatherings and parades. He enjoyed fencing, weightlifting, volleyball, running, and wrestling (or rassling, as he called it) mixing with some of the pro wrestlers of that time. He was also an enthusiastic member of Toastmasters Buffalo. He especially delighted in supporting his wife’s, and then daughters’, participation in gymnastics under the tutelage of the late Ellsworth Stumpf, leading Marilyn to an alternate position on the 1960 Olympic Team.

Shifting his focus to running, Don participated in several triathalons and over 45 marathons including multiple races in the Marine Corps, Boston, NYC, Philly, Skylon, and Toronto among many others. He earned enough Boston medallions to give one to each of his 4 children. For decades Don ran the Buffalo Turkey Trot, encouraging many of his family and friends to join him, and trained with friends from the Belle Wattling Group. His best friend and best man at their wedding Tommy Whelan was frequently by his side training and traveling.

Don raised his four children and 18 grandchildren to respect animals and cultivated their interest in the zoo. Together with his good friend Bill Leumer, former curator of the Reptile House at the Buffalo Zoo, Don filled a room in our house on Cresthill in the Town of Tonawanda with an assortment of reptiles, supplying us kids with endless specimens for show-and-tell, much to the nuns’/teachers’ concern. His mother was only concerned when one of the snakes escaped its habitat while she was watching over the baby Burgers.

Don and Marilyn’s pride and joy was their son Alec, with whom they traveled frequently and supported throughout his swimming career from the Tonawanda YMCA through college at RIT.

Don’s personal interests included reading about history, religion, the military and the classics. He loved to read and write poetry, and even published a poem The Signature in the August 2003 issue of Leatherneck: Magazine of the Marines. He has written many short stories that reflect his thoughts and experiences. Don was a spiritual man and kept his faith close to his heart. He was a decades member of St. Amelia parish as well as active at the Newman Center at U.B. Don’s longest hobby interest was crafting and creating miniature gnome villages, animal dioramas, religious grottos, and painting statuary. He wanted his house to reflect the experience of being in a museum with interesting scenes in every direction you looked. And it does. Just last week he waited for us to enter the living room and see if we noticed his latest creation or change that he’d made that week. Always a challenge keeping up with him and his energy!

Don’s love for a variety of music genres eclipsed all of his other interests. He was always playing music during the day and as he fell asleep. Military marching bands, soft classical, themes and songs from musicals, and popular pieces soothed him and reminded him of days gone by.

His grandchildren and great-grandchildren cherish him for his personal interest in them, his sense of humor, his hobbies, and his love. One of his grandchildren called him Bumpa from an early age and others followed suit. He loved it, and it was how he proudly referred to himself. He has a 3 foot standing toy cheetah by his recliner, which earned him the nickname Cheetah Grandpa by his great-grandchildren. He sent a photo of himself with said cheetah to each of them.

Most of all Don was proud of his entire family and their families. He attended as many religious and sporting events, graduations and weddings as he possibly could. Slowing down in recent years, we shared numerous photos with him that he was always eager to see. He looked forward to his weekly phone conversations from his great friend Pete Nash, whom he met at Camp Kiniya where our family spent many summers on Lake Champlain learning horse riding, riflery, archery, waterskiing. Don loved having us in the great Vermont outdoors each summer and visiting us to see us brag about our accomplishments.

He passed away under a warm, fuzzy, tiger blanket given to him by his weekday aide Renee, who charmed Don; he explained that “she always laughs at my jokes.” He received excellent care at home by his weekend aide Carol as well as the staff in a private room at Millard Fillmore Suburban Hospital receiving what is called Comfort Care. He was calm and peaceful the last several days, with Nancy by his side all night and into the morning.

We are grateful to all of you for your meals, visits, phone calls and cards to him in Tonawanda and then Orchard Park and to everyone for their support and assistance this past week. Love to all from Don’s Family.

Don passed peacefully on June 17, 2024 at the age of 92 with family at his side. Beloved husband of 65 years to the late Marilyn B. (nee Gregoire); loving father of Karen (Dr. Rudy) Nydegger, Diane (Paul) O’Donnell, Nancy (Gregory) Whelan and Alec (Candace) Schneggenburger; devoted grandfather of 16; great-grandfather of 22; step-grandfather of three and step-great grandfather of two; brother of the late Joan (Richard) Judge; survived by many nieces, nephews and cousins. Family will be present Sunday, June 23, 2024 from 2-6 PM at the DENGLER, ROBERTS, PERNA FUNERAL HOME, 3070 Delaware Ave., Kenmore. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated from St. Amelia’s Church 2999 Eggert Road on Monday, June 24, 2024 at 11:30 AM followed by military honors. Please assemble at the church. In lieu of flowers, contributions in Donald's memory may be made to The Buffalo Zoo , 300 Parkside Ave, Buffalo, New York 14214. https://buffalozoo.org/donate/.