Hans Juergen Schneider, 85, died Jan. 7, 2019, in Kingsland

Hans Juergen Schneider passed away early January 7, 2019, in Kingsland, Texas. He was 85 years old. He was born on November 3, 1933.

He is survived by ex-wives Anita Schneider-Jahn (Stelzer) and Roberta (Berta) Schneider (Peterson), and four children. Three children reside in Colorado: Karen Frye, Patricia Schneider, and Mia Stephenson. Marc Schneider resides in Missouri.

Hans has eight grandchildren: Leiah Gerling, Maiya Slusser, Trevyn Slusser, Mariah Frye, Regan Schneider, Calin Schneider, Jones Stephenson, and Ada Stephenson.

Hans is also survived by four great-grandchildren: Lydia, Aurora, Eliana, and William Gerling.

He will be greatly missed by his family.

Hans was born in Neusalz in der Oder, Germany, now known as Nowa Sol, Poland. He met and married Anita Stelzer in Munich, Germany, before they immigrated to the United States in January 1956 by sea on the General Langfit. Hans married Berta Peterson on November 3, 1967, in Des Plains, Illinois.

By trade, Hans was a chemical engineer, working in the metal coating industry, but was also an avid outdoorsman and intellectual. He loved the outdoors, once describing it as his church, and spent as much time as he could boating, sailing, canoeing, hiking, camping, swimming, and skiing. He traveled extensively for work and once aspired to get more than 100 stamps on his passport.

As a chemical engineer, he built plants and worked in the United States, Canada, Iran, South Africa, Japan, Mexico, and Brazil. He spoke 11 languages and enjoyed entertaining with internationals and his friends. He was active to the end, enjoying racketball with friends and long hikes or the occasional road trip.

With his quick mind, he had an opinion on just about everything and continually studied scientific journals, magazines, and books. He was a lifelong student who delighted in learning new things and enjoyed a spirited debate.

Hans was also a tinkerer and would build or fix things in his free time, everything from creating new adhesive formulas to building decks and fish ponds.

Hans requested no funeral and wanted his body donated to science. Donations may be made in his memory to the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio or the Sierra Club.