Henry G. Schnieder

Hank was the oldest of three children born to Hank and Verena Schnieder on April 10, 1922 in Carlyle, Illinois. On July 21, 1948 he married the late Mary Eileen Hitpas of Peoria, Illinois.

From a very early age, Hank had a single goal: he wanted a career as a pilot. Growing up on a small farm during the depression, however, meant that a college education and flying in the military were out of reach.

World War II gave Hank the opportunity to join the USNR cadet program. After completing training as an aviation cadet, Ensign Schnieder served in the Pacific in 1944-45 with Navy Patrol Bombing Squadron VPB-106 as a pilot/navigator in a PB4Y-2 Privateer. Later, during the Korean conflict, Hank served as an instructor in Navy jet fighters.

After the war Hank fulfilled his dream with a career as a captain with Continental Airlines, flying equipment ranging from piston-powered DC-3s to wide-bodied DC-10s. He retired from Continental in 1982 having accumulated over 30,000 hours of time in the air.

Retirement years were spent with Eileen traveling around the U.S. and Canada in their truck and travel trailer, visiting old friends and making new ones.

Hank was preceded in death by his wife Eileen, and brother Robert. Hank is survived by his sister Vera and by five children: Henry Schnieder III, Andrew Schnieder, Gerald and Jennifer Schnieder, Donald and Dolores Schnieder, and Thomas Schnieder. Hank is also survived by five grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to Disabled American Veterans (www.dav.org) or a similar veteran’s organization.

Funeral Mass will be held at St. Clement of Rome Catholic Church in Sun City at 11:30 a.m. on Friday, February 10, 2012. A reception will follow.