Deacon Ronald William Schneider

Deacon Ronald William Schneider of West Bend, Wis., passed away peacefully on May 12, 2024, at Cedar Lake Health and Rehabilitation Center.

He was born in Port Washington on Dec. 17, 1936, to the late Alvin and Florence (nee Mayer) Schneider. At an early age, Ron’s father passed away, and after his mother remarried, he was raised by Florence and Harvey Lauters.

Ron enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1955 and served four years with the Military Police Corps. His assignments included a joint posting with the Tokyo Police Department in Tokyo, Japan, and a combat military police unit at Fort Dix, N.J.

Upon his return to civilian life, he married Carol Rose in 1962 and together they had three sons.

He joined Air Canada in 1961 and progressed through a variety of management and public relations positions, ending his career with Air Canada as the national sales and marketing director for all special markets in the United States.

In the fall of 1985, Ron and Erla Herman (Thelen) reacquainted at their 30th class reunion and on Oct. 10, 1986, they married, blending Erla’s four daughter with the three Schneider boys.

After retiring from Air Canada in 1991, Ron followed a “calling” and began his formal theological schooling at the Permanent Diaconate Formation School at the National Institutes of Health and the American Cancer Institute. He was ordained as a deacon in September 1996 at the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle in Washington, D.C., and served as a deacon to St. Matthias Parish in Lanham, Md.

He served as a chaplain to the same hospice programs where he and Erla had served as volunteers since the 1980s. He performed services at the National Cathedral and at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C. He also served as a delegate to the opening prayer service at the U.S. Congress.

In 2006, Ron and Erla returned to Wisconsin. Ron served as a deacon and hospice minister for St. Francis Cabrini in West Bend.

Surviving Ron is his wife Erla; his sons Daniel (Dawn) of Bedford, Texas, Terry (Deborah) of Gulf Breeze, Fla., and Michael (Amy) of Dunkirk, Md.; stepdaughters Sue (Steve) Burt of Saline, Mich., Sandra (Rob) Nelson of Burlington, Conn., Shari Schneider of West Bend, Wis., and Stacey Herman of Glenview, Ill.; along with his grandchildren William Burns, Max (Polina) Burns, Adam Schneider, Samantha (Jessica) Schneider, Elliot Schneider, Spencer (Sara) Burt, Michaela Schneider, Lexie Schneider, Scoop Schneider and Zoom Schneider; our great-grandchildren Ayden, Avery, Elon and Blake Burns; his brother Dave (Ruth); his sister Pamela Lauter; and many sisters and brothers-in-laws.

The family greeted relatives and friends during a period of visitation on Tuesday, May 21, at St. Frances Cabrini Catholic Church in West Bend from 10:30 a.m. until 12:45 p.m., with a Knights of Columbus prayer service at 12:45 p.m. A Mass of Christian Burial was held at 1 p.m. at St. Frances Cabrini Catholic Church.

Burial was Wednesday at 9:15 a.m. at St. Mary’s Cemetery, Port Washington.

In lieu of flowers, memorials to St. Frances Cabrini Parish or Cedar Community Foundation for the benefit of their hospice programs are appreciated.

Schmidt Funeral Home of West Bend is serving the family.

Messages of comfort and condolence may be left in an online guestbook at www.schmidtfuneralhome.com.