Gary Schneider

“Somewhere in the rain, there will always be an abandoned dog that prevents you from being happy.” Aldous Huxley Gary Frank Schneider (aka Pop) introduced himself on a frosty 28° January 12, 1931 in Saint Francis, Kansas…in an instant: Frank and Bertha’s only son, Val Jean’s and Margaret’s brother. He’ll adventure from the fields and farms of the plains, to the Korean trenches, to the foothills and mountains. There will be countless courses upon which to play countless rounds of golf. He will hole-in-one once or twice. He will be husband – to Shirley Mae. He will be father – to Gary Karl, Kaye Mari & Tad (Malwitz), Scot Dale & Laurie Stroud, Polly Anne & Scott (Barnes). He will be grandfather – to Christopher Scott & Sara Barnes, Jamie Marie Thomas, Courtney Mari, Blake Andrew & Heidi Barnes, Garrett Stroud, Allison Kaley. He will be best friend – every animal’s. In 1951/52, the U.S. Army’s 2nd Infantry Division will fight in Korea. Gary will be there, alongside and leading his soldier brothers. He will return, attend college in Fort Collins, travel with his basketball brothers to Boulder for a game, meet Mom. Gifted. Pop will draw wondrously detailed maps for the U.S. Geological Survey. He’ll hang up his cartographer’s tools on January 17, 1986. Magical. He will hear as few of his kind can the misaligned, out-of-sync, imbalanced machinations around him. Supernatural. He will whisper to, like no other of his kind, and nurture, as only raw and unfettered instinct can guide, his animals. Graceful. Pop will take his leave – gently, quietly – during a calm and pleasantly cool August 8, 2017, in Wheat Ridge, Colorado. For those of us who want to make a charitable contribution in Pop’s name, he’ll most appreciate such given to the Wild Animal Sanctuary at www.wildanimalsanctuary.org. “Leave your dog outside. Heaven goes by favor. If it went by merit, you would stay out and the dog would go in.” Mark Twain, admonishing at Heaven’s gate.