William Schneider Obituary

William R. Schneider "Bill" MT. PLEASANT - William R. (Bill) Schneider, 79, of Mt. Pleasant, prominent former industrial executive, died Friday at MUSC. Born November 13, 1929 in Pittsburgh, PA, he was the son of William Frederick Schneider and Bernice Norine Rehling Schneider. He married his high school sweetheart Glenna Mae (Brooks) Schneider on April 25, 1952 in DuBois, PA. Bill received his Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial Engineering from the Pennsylvania State College (now Penn State University) in June 1951. He was associated with Speer Carbon Company in St. Marys, PA, from 1951 until 1957. In 1957 he was transferred to the International Graphite and Electrode Division of Speer Carbon Company in Niagara Falls, NY. In January 1963, he was transferred back to St. Marys, where he became the Manager of the Engineering and Electronics Division. Between 1966 and 1979, Bill held various positions with the Airco Alloys Division of Airco, Inc. in Niagara Falls, including Assistant to the Senior Vice-President, Technical; Manager, Plant Engineering and Maintenance; Chief Engineer; and Vice President, Production and Engineering. At the height of his career, he oversaw an engineering department with a staff of seventy people that was responsible for seven industrial plants employing 1,300 people domestically. In July 1979, Bill became Vice President of Engineering Macalloy Corporation in Charleston, SC, from which he retired from in March 1995 During his career, Bill held Professional Engineer licenses from the states of New York, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and Kentucky. He was a member of the Society of Professional Engineers, the Iron and Steel Society, American Institute of Mining, Metallurgical, and Petroleum Engineers, the American Society of Metals, and the Environmental Committee of the Ferroalloys Association. A former member of the Kentucky Colonels and the Hibernian Society of Charleston, Bill was a member of the Charleston Kiwanis Club and he and Glenna have been members of Bethel United Methodist Church for 31 years. He was a founding member of the Upper Mountain Fire Company in Lewiston New York, where he served as Chief and President. In addition to his wife of 57 years, Glenna, he is survived by two sons, William Frederick (Fritz) Schneider of Summerville, SC and David Brooks Schneider of Anniston, AL; one grandson, William Michael Brooks Schneider, of Auburn, AL; his sister Mrs. James (Marla J.) McMahon of Westerville, OH, and his brother and sister-in-law, John and Linda Schneider of DuBois, PA. Family and friends are invited to attend his funeral, 11:00AM, Tuesday, July 28, 2009 at Bethel United Methodist Church, 57 Pitt St., Charleston. Visitation will be one hour prior to the service from 10:00AM until 11:00AM at the church. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Restoration Fund at Bethel United Methodist Church, 57 Pitt St., Charleston, SC 29401. McAlister-Smith Funeral Home, Mt. Pleasant Chapel, is serving the family. On-line condolences may be sent the family at www.mcalister-smith.com. Visit our guestbook at www.postandcourier.com/deaths