David R. Schneider

February 6, 1946 - April 27, 2025

It is with deep sadness that we announce the passing of David R Schneider, a devoted husband, dedicated parent, compassionate friend, and respected attorney, who left us on April 27, 2025 at the age of 79. He was born February 26, 1946 in Cincinnati, Ohio to the late Dr. Meyer R and Berenice H. Schneider.

David graduated with the class of 1964 at Walnut Hills High School in Cincinnati. He continued on to earn a Bachelor of Arts Degree in History from Miami University of Ohio where he was a member of the Sigma Alpha Mu fraternity. He graduated from the University of Cincinnati College of Law with a Juris Doctorate in 1971.

David's life was one dedicated to service of others. David was a public defender for 40 years, representing the most vulnerable in our society, safeguarding their constitutional liberties. In 2000, David was appointed as the first Chief Public Defender in Lake County, Indiana, a position he loved and held for over 16 years. Tasked with overseeing a staff of over 40 individuals, he was honored in 2016 by the Indiana Public Defender Council with the Lifetime Achievement Award for his decades of service to the profession. He enjoyed serving as a resource to others, having legal interns clerk during the summer or school year and providing guidance to his son, Joel, who followed in his footsteps as a public defender once he graduated from law school.

David's service and mentorship extended to those in the Northwest Indiana community. Throughout his life he served on the boards of the South Shore Arts, Hospice of the Calumet Area and Munster Plan Commission, as well as being elected to two terms on the Munster School Board. He also volunteered his time coaching high school students at Munster High School for the "We The People" competition. He was a member of Temple Beit Shalom (formerly Temple Beth-El) in Munster and Shalom Life Center of Southwest Florida.

A throughline of David's life is the kindness, warmness, and compassion that he had for those he interacted with. David's memory could never be matched; he never forgot one's birthday, special occasion, and could navigate you from one place to another without the need of modern day technology. Whether it was his family, colleagues, neighbors, or friends, all universally loved David for his selflessness.

David is survived by his loving wife Diane, with whom he would have celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary this year, his children Nicholas (Candice Harlan) and Joel, grandchildren Cassandra and Noah, his siblings Daniel and Judith, and nieces Anna and Claire.

Friends may visit with the family on Sunday, June 22, 2025 from 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM at Solan Pruzin Funeral Home, 14 Kennedy Ave., Schererville, IN. Services conclude at the funeral home.

In lieu of flowers, his family requests that you consider a donation to the David & Diane Schneider Criminal Justice Scholarship Fund at Purdue Northwest Endowment ( https://giving.purdue.edu/inmemoryofdavidschneider )and that you extend kindness to those that you encounter in your life just like David did on a daily basis.