John (Jack) Francis Schniedermeier passed away at the Mercy South de Greeff Hospice House in south St. Louis County, Missouri on Monday, June 15, 2020, after being diagnosed with Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma just a month earlier. After surviving a massive stroke in February 2012, John enjoyed 100 extra months of life with family and friends while adapting to new challenges. A frequent traveler to Las Vegas and a very slow (John would say methodical) video poker player, John elected to fold in his cards when he received his recent diagnosis. Guided by deep Catholic faith, he chose to appreciate a life well-lived. John was 75.

John, known as Jack to family and boyhood friends, was the third John in a row in his family tree, with all different middle names. He was born to John Adam and Frances Mary (Grumich) Schniedermeier on December 22, 1944. While he was an only child, his childhood was anything but lonely, with many first cousins, aunts, and uncles. Some cousins lived in the same family flat or in the surrounding neighborhoods of north St. Louis city. John was a proud graduate of Most Holy Trinity (1958), McBride High School (1962), and University of Missouri-St. Louis (1970).

While John tended to many jobs as he explored passions in politics and service, he ultimately began a career of 36 years with the City of St. Louis, working in many departments, with the majority of his service as an Environmental Health Officer. This work provided him daily access into the homes and yards of everyday St. Louisans, and eventually into the restaurants and hotels of the city. John had a mental map of almost every block of the city – he was a human GPS before the technology arrived.

John married Mary Kay Albrecht in May 1977 and enjoyed 43 years of marriage. Truly taking the vows of for better and worse, in sickness and in health, John and Mary Kay enjoyed their companionship through all of life’s ups and downs. Their son Dan arrived in October 1979 to complete the family. The family was rooted in the Boulevard Heights neighborhood of south St. Louis city for 34 years before moving to the Oakville region of south St. Louis county in 2011.

Throughout the years, John enjoyed time with his family attending countless St. Louis Cardinals games, Six Flags riding the roller coasters, and shows at The Muny. Most often, John could be seen on a summer day tending to the lawn or affixed in his favorite recliner chair watching endless hours of sports. It didn’t matter if John already knew the outcome of a game he had taped or how bad the given year of the Mizzou or Blues or Rams team was – he would still watch. When John wasn’t watching sports, his next lifelong love, passed along to his son, was politics. He started as a young Democrat and loved the Kennedys, and taught his son to know the issues and debate current events over dinner. While a lifelong Democrat, John was able to discuss opposing views as well. Many have recalled John’s patient smile and affable attitude, along with an endless appetite. Being an introvert married to an extrovert, John was more likely to be eating the wedding cake at the reception while watching his wife and son on the dance floor, perfectly content to be near the action, but not in the middle of it.

Throughout the years, John traveled with Mary Kay and Dan to all corners of the United States. If there was a baseball park or amusement park within a certain region, the Schniedermeiers either went there or hoped to one day. Frequent travels to see the Cardinals in countless stadiums, or take advantage of whatever city Dan happened to be working in at the time filled the calendar in recent years. John was fortunate to drive in separate trips across the entire country, reading an actual atlas along the way, from New York City to California. John never missed a chance to visit a state capitol or local church, no matter how insignificant, taking time to read every plaque along the way. While John and Mary Kay did not reach their goal of traveling to all 50 states together, they enjoyed many good times together and with Dan.

John was preceded in death by his parents, mother-in-law, Vera Albrecht, his nephew, Todd Daniels, and many aunts and uncles, especially his Aunt Helen Goldkamp, as well as cousins and dear friends. He is survived by his wife and son, along with his in-laws Geri and Rody Daniels, nephew Brian (married to Elizabeth) Daniels, and great-nieces Allison, Alexandria, and Grace Daniels. He was a devoted friend and “grandpaw” to Lola, Dan’s rescue dog who shared his same birthday, although John never achieved his goal of having a cat.

John had intended to donate his body to medical science at Saint Louis University, but could not due to the COVID pandemic of 2020. St. Louis Cremation provided services. A memorial visitation and mass will be held on Saturday, June 27, 2020, at the family’s former parish home, Immaculate Heart of Mary (4092 Blow Street, St. Louis, MO 63116) with visitation at 10:00 am and mass to follow at 11:00 am.

For those that choose to honor John’s memory, the family asks you to consider a donation to St. Patrick’s Center (https://stpatrickcenter.org), Employment Connection of St. Louis (http://www.employmentstl.org), or a charity of your choice. Mary Kay and Dan selected St. Louis city charities to honor the many year’s John lived and worked for the city, serving its residents.

The next time you enjoy a cold beer with dinner, yell at a ref over a disputed call on a televised game, watch a Sunday morning political talk show, or simply enjoy time with your family, think of John, and smile.