Captain Ret.

Captain Richard C. Schneider, United States Air Force, Retired, age 69 years, formerly of Niles, Michigan died unexpectedly on Monday April 25, 2016 at University Hospital in San Antonio, Texas.

He was born on November 19, 1946 in Niles to Robert P. and Claudine R. (Johnson) Schneider, and was graduated from Niles High School. He enlisted in the United States Air Force where he specialized in aircraft munitions maintenance and ordnance disposal. He continued his education in the Air Force in both engineering and officer’s training, earning his bachelor’s and master’s degrees. Over several tours of duty he became highly decorated including the U.S. Meritorious Service Medal and the Air Force Commendation Medal with two oak leaf clusters. After twenty years of active duty, Captain Schneider was honorably retired at the former Kelly Air Force Base (now part of Joint Base San Antonio) in San Antonio, Texas.

In retirement, Dick chose to live in San Antonio where he continued to serve the Department of Defense as a civilian consultant. He enjoyed hunting, fishing, and skiing and completing projects in his woodshop; but his greatest passion was in his garage, maintaining Ford Mustangs and Chevrolet El Caminos.

He was formerly married to Sandra Robbins, and later to Sandra Schwenke of San Antonio, Texas.

Surviving family includes his daughters, Michele Weir of Wheaton, Illinois, Pamela Schneider of Chicago, Illinois, and Karena Schneider of Seattle, Washington; a grandson, Logan Blume; and Dick’s siblings, Roger (& Kelly) Schneider of Goshen, Indiana, Robert Schneider of San Francisco, California, and Penny (& David) Smith of Brownsburg, Indiana; and several nieces and nephews.

The funeral service for Captain Richard Schneider will be at 10:00 a.m. on Friday, May 13, 2016 at the Halbritter Funeral Home in Niles with Pastor M. Trent Avance of the Apostolic Christian Tabernacle in Niles officiating. The service will conclude on the tarmac (parking lot) of the funeral home with Full Military Honors by American Legion Post #51 of Buchanan, Michigan. Committal Services will be at 2:00 p.m. on Friday at the Fort Custer National Cemetery near Augusta, Michigan by the United States Air Force Honor Guard assisted by the Fort Custer Veteran Volunteers.

The family will receive relatives and friends on Friday at the funeral home beginning at 9:00 a.m. Contributions in memory of Dick Schneider may be made to the United Service Organizations – “The USO” – c/o P.O.Box 96860, Washington, D.C. 20077-7677; or to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation “JDRF”; 26 Broadway, 14th Floor, New York, New York 10004.