Jerry Schneider

May 14, 1954 – January 25, 2023

Gerald “Jerry” (Jehrue / Tigger) Clarence Schneider of Lyle, Washington.

On January 25th, 2023, Jerry passed away at Legacy Emanuel Hospital in Portland, Oregon, surrounded by his family’s love and touch. He had received news a few weeks prior of a tumor on his liver. He was supposed to go on a cruise with his wife, Sandy, but they quickly realized they had to cancel the trip.

Unfortunately, his condition deteriorated quickly, and he had to be taken to the hospital in an ambulance 2 days before his initial treatment plan meeting. The severity of his condition and how quickly things progressed took his whole family by surprise. Jerry was 68 years old.

Jerry Schneider was born to Caroline Gamble (Schneider) and Clarence Schneider on May 14th, 1954 at the old St. Vincent’s Hospital in Portland, Oregon. He was the youngest of 6 siblings. He was 14 lbs. at birth, and had size 14 feet in adulthood, but his lucky number was always 13.

When he was a kid, he spent his summer with his siblings making money by picking berries and running paper routes. He graduated from Wilson High School, attended University of Oregon, and then received his associates of science at Portland Community College.

He met his wife, Sandy Schneider (Sammer) when they were working night shift at Omark Industries, a saw chain manufacturer and he offered to give her tennis lessons. They eloped at the Chapel of Love in Lake Tahoe, CA with his best friend Mike Lowry as the witness. Sandy wore a yellow dress.

He spent the bulk of his career (1985 – 2013) working for the City of Portland’s Columbia Wastewater Treatment plant, retiring as a Lead Operator, Cert 4. His coworkers remembered him as a fun and capable leader. He loved that his career allowed him to work outside of the typical office setting on his feet and using his hands. He enjoyed giving tours of the plant during local school field trips, mentoring several new operators, and the perks of volunteering for overtime.

Running was a staple for his physical and mental health, he ran over 10 full marathons (26.2 miles) in his lifetime, passing along the hobby to both of his children. In 2008 he ran his first father/son marathon with Joe (Portland Marathon), and in 2009 he ran the Newport, OR marathon with Joe and Kelsey.

His passion for life grew with adventure, laughter and creativity. He was an outdoor environmental enthusiast with a wealth of knowledge for survival in the outdoors, fishing, mushroom hunting, birding, gardening, and identifying creatures & plants.

He was always hands on, ready for action, and striving to learn more and be better. While living on the Klickitat River during retirement, he rescued and assisted several recreational river-goers who were in over their heads. Jerry caught many fish in his lifetime, but as a true fisherman, he wouldn’t want it mentioned when or where! He made friends on the river with local regulars, was thrilled by his grandson Wyatt’s knack at steering the boat, and got a kick out of sharing his love of fishing with his wife Sandy, sister Kathy & brother in-law Kelly, brother Don, friends Mike & Chili, daughter Kelsey & son in-law Dan and many more.

His bookcase is full of adventure stories like Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes, Paul Theroux novels, and The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss

Jerry was a keen observer of the world, and would rather talk about outer space, politics, or his next bright idea for an invention than small talk. He enjoyed late night discussions over drinks and long phone calls. He also loved experimenting in the kitchen – sometimes focusing on fresh ingredients from his amazing garden, and other times looking to re-create elaborate dishes seen on some of his favorite cooking shows.

Jerry is survived by his wife Sandy Schneider; his two children and their partners Joe and Brie Schneider  & Kelsey and Dan Machuca; his sister Kathy Premo; his brothers Kermit Schneider, Donald Schneider, and William Schneider; and his two grandchildren Max Schneider and Wyatt Schneider. Jerry is preceded in death by his mom Caroline Gamble, dad Clarence Schneider, and sister Marilyn Schneider.

Jerry’s Memorial will be in spring, slated for May 20th.