Robert Schneider

Doctor Robert Schneider died at the age of 95 on October 31, 2025, at Norwalk Hospital, Norwalk CT surrounded by his loving family, after a brief struggle with aspirational pneumonia.
Doctor Schneider was born on September 17, 1930 in New York City, the son of Max and Mary (Levine) Schneider. He was a graduate of the Bronx School of Science in 1948, of Yale University in 1952, and of New York University School of Medicine in 1956. After internship and residency, he specialized in Cardiology at the V. A. Hospital in the Bronx. Next he served as Chief of Medicine at Whiteman Air Force Base in the Strategic Air Command, where he received a commendation and Certificate of Meritorious Service from US Air Force General Curtis LeMay.
On Tuesday, May 15 of 1962, a Boeing B-47 crash landed on the Whiteman tarmac. "This is not a drill, this is not a drill" were words Dr. Schneider would hear for the rest of his life. The crash had ignited the jet's fuel tank, sending up geysers of flame. Base firemen wielding foam hoses thought they had put out the fire and removed their helmets just as the blast re-exploded, sending burning fuel down the necks of their asbestos suits. Doctor Schneider, already racing to the scene, carried and dragged men to safety, performing tracheotomies on those who had inhaled flame and couldn't breathe. He went three days without sleep, tending burns and caring for the injured, and served an additional four years in the Air Force Reserves.
Most important in his life was his devotion to and love for his family. He was married to the love of his life, Joyce Romanoff Schneider, for over 60 years. They met while Joyce was a writer at Newsweek Magazine, and instantly shared a love for books, reading, travel, and exploring the world. Their favorite place was Paris, where a stay early in their marriage was in a tiny garret with a hot plate and a lumpy mattress, but a big window overlooking the gorgeous city and the nightly illuminated Notre Dame. In 1971 they moved to Westport, CT, where they started a family and Dr. Schneider practiced medicine for over 30 years. He also took a law degree, consulted medical malpractice attorneys, and served as Consultant Internal Medicine & Cardiology for the Connecticut Department of Public Health.
His wife Joyce survives him, as do their children, Danielle, Matt Schneider and his wife Jean Devine of Brooklyn, New York, and their adored grandchildren, Hattie and Louise. He was predeceased by his brother Stanley, an engineer who served in the Army in the South Pacific during World War II.
A graveside funeral service will take place on Wednesday, November 5, 2025, at 1pm at Temple Israel Cemetery, 225 Richards Ave, Norwalk, CT.
Contributions in his memory made be made to the Westport Library, Norwalk Hospital, and Hadassah Hospital in Jerusalem, Israel.