Raymond Schneider

July 4, 1926 - September 28, 2020

Our cherished dad, Raymond Schneider, 94, passed away on September 28, 2020 at Salem Memorial Hospital, a hospital he practiced at for 36 years as an anesthesiologist.  He was born in Rochester, NY to Margaret (Carstensen) and Anton Schneider in 1926.  After serving in the USN V-12 program at the end of WWII, and completing pre-med and medical school at University of Rochester, Ray interned in Maine and completed his family practice and anesthesiology residencies at the University of Iowa in 1956.
 
Moving his growing family to Salem, Oregon, Ray claimed it was one of his best decisions as he enjoyed the varied scenery, the mild climate and all that his adoptive state had to offer.  Downhill skiing, water skiing, swimming, boating and camping were some of the activities that he shared with his former wife, Ann Donovan, and their five children.  He fished and hunted with many fellows and he played squash at the YMCA.  He ran, jogged, walked and then, growing older, did “roadwork” (as he put it). 
 
Travel led to adventures far and wide, from long stays on the beach in Baja to a photographic safari in Kenya.  Ray credited the music programs provided by Kodak in Rochester schools for his introduction to music, but his appreciation and knowledge of many genres were developed over time through his keen interest.  He built his first “hi-fi” from a kit.  He created a varied and extensive music library and his bookshelves illustrate his delight in the written word.  Although impacted by his loss of vision and hearing, he continued to pursue his pastimes.  Ray shared his interests with all and also loved to relay his cultivated collection of “shaggy dog” stories.
 
Ray’s friend and travel partner, Pam Chick, his children, Barbara (Allen) Banks, Karen (Gene) Dieringer, Kris (John) Claflin, Dave Schneider, and Julie Schneider (Chris Howard), his seven grandchildren, and his ten, soon to be eleven, great-grandchildren have memories and each other to hold close.
 
A family memorial service will be held at a future date.  In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Oregon Commission for the Blind, the Salvation Army, or the American Cancer Society.