Iris May Schnipper

Iris May Schnipper (nee Bergen) of Charlotte, NC (formerly of Brooklyn, NY, Middletown, CT, and Lake Worth, FL), aged eighty-four, passed away peacefully on Saturday, August 3, 2024. She was a bright, vibrant light in our world and will be dearly missed.
Iris was born in Brooklyn, NY on May 1, 1940, at Beth El Hospital. Iris lived on Legion St., in a four-family house surrounded by her extended family: mother, father, brother Michael, her maternal grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins. She had a loving and well cared for childhood with lots of happy memories and experiences.
Iris met her future husband, Jack Schnipper, when she was 16 years old. They met in the balcony of a local movie theatre, and they were together from then on, dating for three years and married for 53 years. Their marriage produced three spectacular children: Natalie, Stuart, and Mitchell.
Through the 50 years Iris lived in CT she participated in many enjoyable activities including forming a theater group, the Wesleyan Hills Players. She acted, stage managed, was prop and costume mistress and she painted sets and sold tickets. Iris was active in the Cub Scouts as a den mother. She also protested to the Board of Education so that no tests would be scheduled over the Jewish Holidays as her children would not be attending those days.
Her hobbies included sewing, crocheting, book clubs, movies, and live theater, mah jongg, canasta, reading, dancing, painting, and watching her favorite show "Jeopardy."
Iris was a chaperone to a group of high school students who participated in an acting exchange, and she accompanied them to England where she arranged for the students to see several shows in London and a show in Stratford Upon Avon. The group stayed at hostels and toured the country.
Iris worked as an administrative secretary for the Coginchaug High School Math Department. Iris worked at Middletown's City Hall in the Planning and Zoning and Assessor's Office in the same capacity. Her last job was as Secretary to the Director of Pupil Services at the Board of Education.
During these years, Iris enjoyed travelling and had been to Europe (with and without the children), many island destinations including Aruba, St. Thomas, St. Maartin; multiple cruises; enjoyed visiting the National Parks like Zion and Yellowstone; California's coastline; Disney parks and much more. Her favorite, however, was the Nevele Hotel in the Catskill Mountains where she spent her honeymoon.
Upon retiring to Florida, first as a snowbird and then, later, to live permanently, Iris continued to be active. She was a Life Member of Hadassah and took a seat on the Executive Board as Recording Secretary. She participated in water aerobics with her friends twice weekly. She and her friends played trivia at the local bar and won several games.
Shortly after Jack passed, Iris took up the hobby of painting, and upon her death, has amassed about 200 canvases. She would like each person attending her celebration of life to take home a painting in her memory.
At 78 years old, she packed up and moved to Charlotte NC. Never one to be idle, she joined the Jewish Community Center and became an active member of the Oasis Adult Life Program. She enjoyed participating in Hadassah Charlotte as an artist for their fundraiser. Iris belonged to two books clubs and a weekly movie night as well as enjoying cultural activities like opera in the movies, concerts and shows. Tuesday was coffee klatch at Dunkin Donuts to catch up with the neighbors and see what is happening in the community. For the past two years Iris participated in a Holiday Fair and sold fifty of her paintings. One of her paintings won a contest, and it was featured on the Charlotte area Transit system buses for a month.
To celebrate her 80th year of life, in the face of covid, her friends and family celebrated her with a car parade. The cars were adorned with balloons and streamers. They paraded and beeped throughout her neighborhood.
One of her favorite pastimes was playing 'killer marathon' Scrabble with her son Mitchell and daughter Natalie and talking to her son Stuart on the phone as he lives in Hawaii.
Iris' deepest weekly pleasure was when she, Mitchell and Natalie had a family meal together. For those family times alone, the move to NC was worth it. And, even though her son Stuart could not be at those meals, she knew from his weekly and daily phone calls that he was there with her as well.
When Iris was diagnosed with lung cancer, she still conducted her life exactly as before and enjoyed herself until the end. She was hoping to live until November so she could vote for Kamala Harris.
Iris is survived by her daughter, Natalie Tunney of Charlotte NC; Stuart Schnipper of Honolulu Hawaii, Mitchell Schnipper of Charlotte NC; her brother and sister-in-law Michael and Elaine Bergen of Rockville MD along with numerous nieces, nephews, family members and life-long friends.
Donations in Iris' memory may be made to the Oasis Adult Life Program at The Levine Jewish Community Center, 5007 Providence Road, Charlotte NC 28226. Or online at charlottejcc.org. Checks can be made out to Levine JCC.
A Celebration of Life will be held on Sunday, August 18th, at Temple Beth El at 10:30 a.m. Let's honor Iris and her love of color and art by wearing vibrant clothing.
The Celebration of Life will be live streamed at www.templebethel.org.Click on the join our live stream button on the website to view the broadcast.