In Memory

John Schnabel

John Schnabel

 

 

 

 

John Joseph Schnabel, Jr., 67, of Eagan, MN, formerly of Fairmont and Mankato, lost his battle with cancer December 17, 2015 at St. Gertrude's Health and Rehab Center in Shakopee, MN.  A memorial service and celebration of John will be held in Mankato at a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Minnesota Assistance Council for Veterans (MACV).  Woodland Hills Funeral Home is handling arrangements.

  John was born October 27, 1948 in Rochester, MN to John and Mary (Kasper) Schnabel.  He was a graduate of Mankato High School and attended Winona State University.  He was a corporal in the Marine Corps, serving in the Vietnam War. He worked for Ford Motor Company in St. Paul.  John loved old cars like the 1936 Olds and 1969 Corvette, beautiful landscape art, traveling, and especially spending time with his wonderful family.  He was a member of Ford UAW Local 879 in St. Paul.

 

  John is survived by brother, Walter (Kathryn) Schnabel of Greenville, SC; sisters, Mary (Dan) Scattarella of Eden Prairie, MN, Teresa (Steven) Sines of Hilton Head, SC; nieces and nephew, Elizabeth (Scott) Clemete and their children, Jack and Cate, Matthew Scattarella and Sara Scattarella..                                                                                                                                                                                                                             

  He was preceded in death by his parents



 
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12/21/15 08:27 AM #1    

Merri Jo Miller

I have many fond memories of John. There is one that I had always told him that I would be telling when he died. That day has come. I don't think we ever really expect that it will.

I was at a party at the Downtowners back in the 70's. I think at that time he and Bob Wold were sharing an apartment there. Anyway at some point John took the tequila worm and put it between two Ritz crackers with a couple tiny pieces of lettuce and ate it. I remember that like it was yesterday! Always the life of the party! Rest in peace, my friend.


12/22/15 12:41 PM #2    

Dennis "Kip" Alexander

Wow!~  This one hits close to home as "Schnabel" and I hung out a lot during the high school and college days.  I remember the tequila worm incident as well.  We were room mates for a while when we rented the apartments above The Oleander on Front Street.  I remember one year we had the New Years day bike races through the apartment.  It was a lot like the movie Animal House as we did some crazy stuff.  We used to drive over to LaCrosse when he was at Winona State because you could buy 3.2 brewsky in Wisconsin.  I'll miss him.


12/23/15 08:20 AM #3    

Joedy Dubke

John's obit was in the Fairmont Sentinal (www.fairmontsentinal.com) this morning.  Late last summer John called me out of the blue one afternoon. I hadn't spoken with him for years.  We talked for 2 hours about old times and our current lives.  He made no mention of being ill.  He said that he was down sizing and was going to send me something.  A few days later a very nice signed edition landscape art print arrived. Now it all makes sense. I also remember some of the wacky things "Schnabel" use to do.


12/23/15 11:46 AM #4    

Paul Bohnert

Yeah........"Schnabey" as many of us called him.  What a great and happy outlook on life he had. I met him in 9th grade at Loyola. He was always laughing with a smile on his face.  Schnabey had his own "vocabulary" and if you knew him, you know what I mean.  His wife and my wife were class mates at Good Council, and in the 80's we all rendezvoued in Jamaica for a really fun vacation. I remember he slit his sandals and hid "seeds" in the slits to bring home with him.........smiley 

I stopped and saw him in Shakopee on Monday the 14th of Dec.  We chatted briefly, had a few final laughs, and said our goodbyes.  His obit was in the Free Press this AM. He will be missed...............


12/24/15 09:06 AM #5    

Michael Patterson

John was "one of a kind."  If someone said a stupid joke that wasn't funny, John's laugh always made me laugh anyway.

When I was living in San diego, I was told a story about John getting pulled over.  He drifted, briefly, into the river at Sibley Park.  The officer asked for his license and he gave him his fishing license.  I never did ask John if this was true, although it surely sounded like John and I'm going with that.

Greg Gemlo and I visited John a few days before he passed away.  At first it was a sad experience, but after a little while John came back from a dark place and belted out his infectious laugh.  That is how I will remember him.  I think he would be ok with that.

Rest in peace. I will see you later up or down the road.  Either way you will make it fun, as usual.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


01/10/16 07:00 AM #6    

Calvin Roff

John, guy, we should have stayed in better touch. What great memories I have of escapades during our teens and twenties. Shooting military flares off of the lookout over the river, the 1968 Route 66 road trip to San Diego with Tony Brown in my 1950 Dodge including walking the backstreets of Tijuana, my wife and I dropping in on you and your flame at your farm outside of Mankato to be met first by your dogs, then your geese and finally by your goats only to be ambushed by what you slipped into our drinks- we ended up staying and laughing the entire night. Always a great time. As Kip said, John was a walking animal house- real pranks, you never knew what to expect. He was a guy that you just kinda fell in love with and with whom you had a whole lotta fun. Ouch my old buddy, it hurts to see you go. 


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