Lyle Richard Schneider

Lyle R. Schneider passed away February 23, 2013 at home with his wife by his side. He was born June 23rd, 1917 to Edward O. Schneider and Mabel Inez Schneider in the village of Elysian, LeSueur County Minnesota. After graduation from high school in 1935 he left Elysian and went out to the Pacific Coast arriving in Seattle. He entered Mt. Vernon Junior College and graduated May 20, 1938. It was at this time that he met his wife to be, Louise Elliott, when she would make summer visits to her grandparent’s farm where Lyle got his first job. He then enrolled at the University of Washington working his way through as a houseboy in a sorority house for room and board. That same year on June 1st the sorority house closed for the summer and he got a job doing painting and maintenance for a retired widow staying in the basement apartment. On June 23rd, his birthday, the lady invited him for dinner. The radio was on with news; suddenly a voice came on asking to wait for a message from the President of the United States, Franklin D. Roosevelt. The President’s voice was quiet but emotional, “My dear citizens, France surrendered today to Germany and Hitler is now bombing London. I now order that 5,000 new naval officers shall be selected and trained for active duty starting immediately. All Naval recruiting officers shall start now to examine and enlist applicants to a new naval academy in New York City.” Lyle had just finished his fourth year of college and one year of law school. The next day he was at the naval recruiting offices in Seattle at 8 A.M. He filled out his application, passed his physical examination, and was accepted into the United States Navy on June 30th. Lyle served at Pearl Harbor, the South Pacific and on a merchant ship taking oil and cargo from San Francisco to Alaska. After he was permanently stationed at the naval fuel base in Port Orchard, WA he proposed to Louise Marie Elliott and they were married on July 16th, 1943 in a small Lutheran Church in Seattle. When the war ended he was honorably discharged as a Lt. Commander and returned to the University of Washington to finish law school passing the Washington State Bar on September 10th, 1947. Lyle and Louise moved to Auburn, Washington to practice law with his father-in-law, in the firm of Elliott & Schneider. The practice continued and by the time he retired in 2005 the firm name was Schneider, Gibson & Jarvey. Lyle’s practice focused on estate planning, probate, and real estate. He received an award for 50 years as an active practicing attorney. After retirement they moved to their ranch in the Wenas Valley, north of Selah, WA which he had purchased in 1965 and continued farming hay and raising cattle until his health required that he turn the operation over to his son, Lyle Jr. Lyle served three elective terms as Auburn City Attorney, and was City Attorney for the town of Pacific. He was the director of three banks, a member of Auburn Kiwanis, the Lutheran Church, and a five-year scout master. He was active in the Association of Washington Cities and was elected a Freeholder to draft the new King County Charter, and reelected to serve on the review committee ten years later. He was a life member of the NRA, American Legion, Washington State Bar Association; the Washington Cattlemen’s Assn. and was a director of the Wenas Irrigation District Board for many years. Life in the Navy, in Auburn as a small town attorney and life on the ranch has been very special to Lyle as well as all of his family. He is survived by his wife of nearly seventy years, Louise, or as he would say, “his angel from above”, and his three children, Dr. Eric Elliot Schneider of Auburn, Frances Louise Feusner of Selah, and Lyle Richard Schneider Jr. of Selah. Lyle is also survived by ten grandchildren and eight great grandchildren. A footnote from his eldest son, Eric. My dad and I have shared clients from the Auburn area for many years – dad as a family attorney and myself as a veterinarian. What I have heard and do now hear about my dad almost every day is that he was a person who really would listen to you, was always a gentleman with a sincere smile, could and did give good advice, as he was very “well read” and lastly could tell a great story! In the words of Mark Twain, “my father was an amazing man – the older I got, the smarter he got.” My father was my hero!In his memory, memorials may be given to Peace Lutheran Church in Selah, Washington, The American Legion or a charity of your choice.

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