John Schneider

1948 - 2025

John Leonard Schneider

1948 - 2025

Salt Lake City, Utah-John Schneider, who flew planes, DJ'd as a Baton Rouge teenager and met Dolly Parton, served his country in Korea, climbed mountains, cooked French food and sourdough bread, kept up thoughtful correspondence with friends and family, played fiddle and banjo, and always served his neighbors and co-workers well, died Sunday. He was 77.

His family and friends, and the amazing team at Huntsman at Home hospice services confirmed his death. He had lived a wondrous life.

John was 15 when he got his pilot's license, taking to the skies before he legally took to the road. He loved high places, climbing 15 of Colorado's fourteeners, soaring with hawks in a glider to 15,000 feet. For the past 20 years, he could be seen hiking, climbing and riding his mountain bike up and down the hills in and around Salt Lake City.

John served his country with an Army tour in Korea in 1969. He patrolled the DMZ and learned that magpies can noisily give away your position, leading to a lifelong dislike.

After his tour he traveled a few years and landed in Chicago, found work with the United Airlines baggage crew. He worked outdoors on the ramp for United for 37 years, in Chicago, Denver, Portland and finally Salt Lake City, experiencing all 4 seasons to the fullest. After a two week 'retirement', he was hired by the city of Salt Lake to keep us all moving in the airport pick-up zone, and, for a time, drove the parking shuttle bus. He made and maintained many strong and supportive friendships among the airlines and airport workers, travelers, plus the many people he met as they did their daily jobs at the grocery store, delivering the mail, waiting his table, or setting up his infusion at the Huntsman Center.

John Leonard Schneider was born June 18, 1948, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, the youngest of 4 children of William Charles Schneider, an engineer with Standard Oil, and Emily Elizabeth (Williamson) Schneider, who tried to get John to come home early, or at least bring the car back with gas in it.

John was quick to recall days, places and people growing up in B.R. He carried and shared the best of his Louisiana roots, which go generations back, especially on his mother's side. He could make great gumbo, play a cajun fiddle, and was happy to tell and share stories about going to Ourso's store, Tony's Donuts, and the Whataburger.

John, as many have said recently, was 'one of a kind'. He was so comfortable and at peace with the life he lived and was an island of calm for so many of us. Toward the end, as cancer wore his body down, he was ready for his last journey Home. He felt so prepared for the transition from this life to death. In his words, he was casting off on his next adventure on a new ocean, boarding a boat 'fashioned with his family and friends' to keep him secure. Cancer wore his body out, but not his soul.

John is survived by his brother Bill Schneider and his wife Geraldine, in Port Allen, LA, and his sister, Elizabeth McCusker, in Durham, NC, his cousin Tim Schneider in Littleton, CO, as well as nieces and nephews and other relations in Louisiana, Connecticut, North Carolina and Vermont.

Friends and family will gather at O'Donnell funeral home at 11 AM Tuesday for a Celebration and Remembrance, followed by a Graveside service at 1 PM at Salt Lake City Cemetery. We will gather at John's house afterwards for food and more stories. He'd love that.