Benjamin David Schneider

1979 - 2020

Benjamin David Schneider
November 24, 1979 ~ April 11, 2020
Benjamin David Schneider, aged 40, son of Mark and Meg Schneider of Boise, Idaho, died April 11, 2020, from injuries sustained in an auto accident near Anchorage, Alaska. Born on November 24, 1979, at Fort Ord, California, he spent his earliest years in Hawaii, Guam, and Virginia. In 1990 the family moved to Boise where he attended Sacred Heart School and Bishop Kelly High School. Ben earned his degree in education at Montana State University, did his student teaching in New Zealand, and returned home to the pacific northwest to marry his high school sweetheart, Nicole Pressman, on a snowy New Year's Eve, 2003. They moved to Seattle, Washington, where he taught for the Pacific Science Center, was active in the ultimate frisbee communities, and pursued a myriad of outdoor activities.
In 2008 Ben moved with his family to Eagle River/Chugiak, Alaska, where they lived in a yurt for several years. He was an extremely active stay-at-home dad, hiking group leader, woodworker and puzzle maker, dog musher, backcountry telemark skier, fly fisherman, fat-tire biker, backpacker, river rafter, volunteer at the Eagle River Nature Center and Mirror Lake singletrack trails, and coach for youth Nordic skiing and mountain biking. He found joy in the outdoors and introducing other people to his passions. He loved to haul his kids and anyone else's outside for any and all activities. Ben enthusiastically pursued teaching first at Fire Lake Preschool, then as an elementary PE teacher at Trailside, Birchwood ABC, and Muldoon elementary schools. He loved a good story many of which were inspired by his own adventures.
He is survived by his wife Nicole Pressman-Schneider, his children Leo and Kaya, his parents, Mark and Meg Schneider of Boise, his siblings Aaron Schneider of Seattle and Beth Schneider-Coulter of Boise, his grandparents Leo and Betty Schneider of Ames, Iowa, and numerous aunts, uncles, cousins and friends.
A Celebration of Life for Ben is currently being deferred until those he loved are able to gather, pending covid-19 directives. In Eagle River/Chugiak, Alaska, we hope to celebrate his life in June and again in Boise, Idaho, in July. Friends will find the details on his Caring Bridge site: https://www.caringbridge.org/visit/benschneiderak. In lieu of flowers his family and friends have established a memorial fund to promote children's outdoor activities, especially for those children who would otherwise have difficulties participating . The fund is set up through the United Methodist Church of Chugiak under the "Ben Schneider Memorial Fund" at http://umcchugiak.org/giving.