Robert Schneider

Robert Kelton Schneider, 79 of Circleville, passed away after a brief illness on Friday March 12, 2010. He was born November 6, 1930 in Lancaster, to the late C. Bernard and Eloise (Tidd) Schneider and graduated from Lancaster High School in 1948. He graduated from the The Ohio State University in 1953 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Ceramic Engineering. He was a member of Karamos Honorary Ceramic Engineering Society and is registered as a Professional Engineer. Upon graduation he began his career at RCA in Marion, Indiana. He married Alma Louise Beals, his college sweetheart, in November, 1952. In 1954 he was called to active duty in the US Air Force, where his duty posts included Sampson AFB in Geneva, KY, Kessler AFB in Biloxi, MS and Itazuke AFB in Kyushu, Japan. He achieved First Lieutenant in 1955. In 1956 he resumed his career with RCA in Marion, IN. In 1969 he helped choose the Circleville site to build a plant to produce TV picture tubes, and was charged with developing special glass for television panels and funnels. He retired in 1991 after a 39 year career. He was a member of the Masons, past president and active member of the Circleville Kiwanis Club, treasurer of the Sylvan Association; and active in Trinity Lutheran Church, the RCA Retirees Group, the Lancaster Boat Club and the OSU Alumni Association of Pickaway County. He enjoyed traveling, building and fixing things, fishing, boating, his grandchildren, his Florida winter home in Naples and mostly just “puttering around.” He was an avid Buckeye Fan and attended fifty years of OSU football games. Survived by his wife of 57 years Alma; three daughters, Debra (Robert) Fratini of Naperville, IL, Barbara (Dennis) Crist of Circleville and Amy Schneider Gresham of Powell; 8 grandchildren, Thomas and Emily Fratini, Katherine, Nicholas and Andrew Crist, Louis, John and Kristiana Gresham; sister, Elaine (David) Erickson of Stow; sisters and brothers-in-law, Martha Beals Mackey of Newburg, NY, Richard and Jane Beals of Palatine, IL and John and Sally Beals of Centerville. Cremation has taken place. A memorial service will be held 3:00 p.m. Thursday March 18, 2010 at the Trinity Lutheran Church, 135 E. Mound St., Circleville, OH 43113. Visitation will be from 2:00 p.m. until the start of the service. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Bob’s memory to the ALS Association of Central Ohio, 1170 Old Henderson Rd., Suite 221, Columbus, OH 43220 or to Trinity Lutheran Church. Arrangements were completed by the Wellman Funeral Home, Circleville.