Leo A. Schneider, 87, Bismarck, died peacefully on June 26, 2023 at Sanford Hospital in Bismarck after a long and courageous battle with cancer.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Friday, June 30 at Corpus Christi Catholic Church, Bismarck. Burial will be at St. Mary’s Cemetery, Bismarck.
Visitation will be held Thursday from 5-7 p.m. at Bismarck Funeral Home with a rosary/vigil service at 7 p.m. Visitation will continue one hour prior to the funeral service at the church.
Leo was born February 6, 1936, in Bismarck, ND, to Thomas W. and Elizabeth (Schmidt) Schneider, the fourth in a family of thirteen children.
Leo was educated in Bismarck, attended St. Mary’s Grade School and graduated from St. Mary’s Central High School in 1954. He then attended Bismarck State College for two years in a Pre-Engineering curriculum. While attending Bismarck State College, he was employed part-time by Atlantic Refining Co. (now Atlantic Richfield Oil Co.) in the Exploration Division Geological Section as a draftsman. After attending Bismarck State College, he was employed by The Atlantic Refining Co. as a full-time draftsman in the Geological Section. In July 1958, he was drafted into the U.S. Army Headquarters stationed at the Presidio in San Francisco, CA and served as a Photogrammetric Map Compiler. He was reassigned to the Army Engineering Center in Fort Belvoir, VA as a Senior Map Compiler Specialist 4 th Class. He was honorably discharged in 1960 and returned to Bismarck. Leo then began employment with Skelly Oil Co. Exploration Division’s Geological Section as their chief draftsman until 1963. He declined an offer to transfer to Casper, WY when Skelly Oil Company’s office closed in Bismarck. He remained in Bismarck to marry the love of his life, Verene Zarr, on May 25, 1963. Leo then began a 30-year career with the North Dakota Department of Transportation in the Design Division Drafting Section as a draftsman. He was reassigned to the Design Division’s Rural Design Section as a Design Technician and was later promoted to a Sr. Technician Project Manager, designing rural highways, until his retirement in 1993.
Leo enjoyed family Sunday birthday brunches and family gatherings. He loved hunting (especially goose hunting), walleye fishing, playing cards, his home, his yard and birds. He particularly loved the many Purple Martins that returned to his backyard each spring for over 40 years to nest in the houses he provided for them.
Leo is survived by one brother, Andrew (Ingrid) Bismarck, and three sisters, Agnes (Robert) McIntyre, Bismarck; Veronica (Sauter) Schneider, Bismarck; and Annette (John) Freund, Nanuet, NY; brother-in-law Alex Gross; sisters-in-law Inez Schneider, Susan Schneider, Beverly Schneider, and Gloria Schneider; plus many nieces, nephews and cousins.
Leo was preceded in death by his loving wife Verene; his parents; five brothers, Jerome, Thomas, Dennis, Stephen, and Anthony; three sisters, Mary Gross, Josephine Tokach, and Monica Schubert; brother-in-law, Raymond Tokach; and sister-in-law Deleila Schneider.
A live-stream of the service will be posted to the Corpus Christi Church website.
Go to www.bismarckfuneralhome.com to share memories and condolences with the family and sign the online guest book (Bismarck Funeral Home).
Memorial contributions are preferred to St. Mary’s Central High School Building Fund in Leo’s memory.