by Debbie Tuma
Gerald Schneider, known as Jerry, was a longtime East Hampton resident who passed away on February 8, of a heart attack in Manhattan. He would have been 71 on February15.
He had his own accounting firm in Manhattan, GDS Financial, Inc., where he worked with his son, David Schneider, and before that he worked at Parsons Accounting Firm.
Jerry was born in New York City to Sidney and Rose Schneider, and was raised in Flatbush, Brooklyn. He graduated from Midwood High School in Flatbush, and then graduated from Brooklyn College with a degree in accounting. He lived in Chappaqua, New York, before moving to East Hampton in 1985, and commuting back and forth to his New York office.
“Jerry loved living out here so he could swim at all the beaches and have a boat,” said his longtime neighbor, Juliette Parker. “He also loved children and dogs.”
About 10 years ago, he joined the East Hampton Kiwanis Club, where he was on the scholarship committee and ran the annual Christmas Tree Fundraiser. Henry Uihlein, of Amagansett, a past president of the East Hampton Kiwanis Club, said, “Jerry was a kind and carefree man who enjoyed life. He was a proud member of the Kiwanis Club and he supported every charitable request and saw the goodness in giving not only monetarily, but of his time, as well.” Besides his Kiwanis works, Jerry also helped with the annual Grand Slam Fishing Tournament and the Montauk Seafood Festival
Throughout his life, Jerry had many friends and a loving family. With his great sense of humor, he was full of life, and was considered the “life of the party.” He loved to sing, and was often seen at Karaoke events in the Hamptons. His favorite band was “The Grateful Dead,” he was a self-proclaimed “Dead Head,” and he used to go to all their concerts in the city and elsewhere. He had the most generous nature, and would gladly give to those less fortunate. He was a voracious reader, and always had his head in a book. Jerry was also a big sports fan, and along with his son David, followed hockey and baseball. They were big Islander fans. Jerry also loved being out on the water in his boat, and each year he made a trip to one of his favorite his favorite places, Block Island.
John Leal, his friend since fourth grade in Brooklyn, said, “We grew up in the same building and were close as brothers. We explored adolescence, bar mitzvahs, and the classic rituals of the American teens of the 1970’s. Jerry was always wicked funny and wicked smart—acerbic and hilarious.”
Gerald Schneider is survived by his son David Schneider of East Hampton, and by his two cousins, Sheryl Darby of Florida and Carol Strauss of New Jersey, and their families.
A memorial service was held at Yardley & Pino Funeral Home in East Hampton on February 23rd. The family has asked that memorial donations be made in Gerald’s name, to the ASPCA, the Animal Rescue Fund of the Hamptons (ARF) or to St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital.
