Shirlee (Ross) Schneider

Shirlee Schneider (Ross) died peacefully on October 1, 2019, in her room at The Inn at The Fountains in Unionvale, New York after a brief illness. She was 96.

Shirlee was married to the late Hyman “Hy” Schneider for 54 years and mother to the late Lynn Schneider. She is survived by her daughter Cat and son-in-law Wil Greenstreet, grandchildren Kim Schneider, Morgan Greenstreet, Jeremy and Jesse Roarabaugh.

Shirlee was born on May 23, 1923 in Roselle, New Jersey. She graduated from Batten High School in Elizabeth in 1939. During World War II she worked as a nurse’s aide. She married Hy in 1946. Together they ran Ross Sports Shop in Elizabeth for more than 30 years until they sold the business in the mid-1980s. After that, Shirlee worked as a bookkeeper for a variety of clients until she was 94. She lived in Union for 66 years before moving to The Fountains.

Shirlee loved games and sports; she was active in the women’s golf league at Galloping Hill, often serving as president. She played regularly until she was 94. Shirlee played tennis until she was 80, and social games including mahjong and bridge every week until she was 94. She also loved to travel, dance, and eat well. She was always open to meeting new people and trying new things. The past two years of her life were a kind of creative renaissance: she read a lot, painted, sang, danced, and drummed. Shirlee touched people with her frankness, humor, and kindness wherever she went. She lived her later years filled with gratitude for family, friends, caregivers, and her full, rich life.

Funeral services will be held at Higgins & Bonner Echo Lake Funeral Home at 11 AM, Thursday October 3. Memorial services will be held at The Inn at The Fountains, 79 Flint Road, Unionvale, NY on Monday, October 21, 2019 at 3 p.m. In lieu of flowers, please give a donation to the organization of your choosing in her memory.

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