Lois Schneider, 80, Summit Real Estate Entrepreneur

Lois Schneider, founder and president of Lois Schneider Realtor, died on Aug. 4, 2012, at her home in Summit, N.J. She was 80. Relatives and friends are invited to call on Monday, Aug. 6, from 6 to 8 p.m. and Tuesday, Aug. 7, from 2 to 4 and 6 to 8 p.m. at the , 309 Springfield Ave. Summit, N.J.
The Funeral Mass will be celebrated on Wednesday, Aug. 8, at 10:45 a.m. at , Summit. Interment will follow at St Teresa's Cemetery, Summit.
For more than 40 years, Mrs. Schneider has been recognized as a widely-respected real estate agent, a highly successful entrepreneur, and a dedicated philanthropist. Born in Philadelphia, she attended Drexel University before her marriage to Alan Schneider in 1952.
She moved to Summit, N.J., in 1961 and began her real estate career in 1962, when her daughters reached school age. Mrs. Schneider quickly became one of the most successful agents in town, in 1976.
This was an era of mergers and franchising, but she chose not to follow the trend and set her sights instead on developing a business with just one office and one mission: superb service. She stayed true to that mission, and her agency has dominated the Summit market for decades.
Her daughter, Karen Schneider, a director in the company, will assume leadership of . Mrs. Schneider's commitment to excellence was evident in her engagement with her community. Her philanthropic endeavors reflected her belief that the members of a community, much like the members of a family, are responsible for one another. She and her staff have been dedicated to the betterment of life in their towns, from schools to the environment to working with less advantaged members of the community. Lois Schneider Realtor is an ardent supporter of community service groups including: The Valerie Fund, SAGE Eldercare, Overlook Medical Center, the Summit Volunteer First Aid Squad, Good Grief, Bridges Outreach, Family Promise, and The Connection. For years, Mrs. Schneider was the lead sponsor of major events, including the Summit Junior Fortnightly Tot Trot, the Summit Luminary Project, and the Reeves Reed Arboretum's Holiday House Tour. Mrs. Schneider was the recipient of numerous awards and accolades for both her professional achievements and civic involvement, including being named NCJAR's "Realtor of the Year" twice. The Union Country Freeholders elected her as one of their "Women of Excellence" for her role as an entrepreneur. Of all her honors, Mrs. Schneider was most proud of her Congressional Certificate of Appreciation for Community Betterment for her work with such organizations as Our House Group Homes for the Developmentally Disabled. On Oct. 27, 2006, to recognize her 30th anniversary in business, Mayor Jordan Glatt of Summit declared it "Lois Schneider Day." In 2008, she was awarded the Luxury Real Estate Lifetime Achievement Award. In 2011, she received the Silver Service Award for Achievement in the Community from the Suburban Chamber of Commerce. Although virtually every local cause and institution found her to be an enthusiastic patron, one of her lifelong interests was education. Having been educated by the Sisters of the Holy Child, one of her main goals was that her daughters would attend Oak Knoll. Subsequent to their graduation, Mrs. Schneider served on the board of trustees of the Oak Knoll School. She supported Oak Knoll, the Sisters' retirement fund, and her alma mater, the former Holy Child Academy in Sharon Hill, Pa. She also had been an active supporter of Our Lady of Peace School, Oratory Preparatory School, Kent Place School, Summit Speech School, New Jersey Development School for Youth, Summit Educational Foundation and The Learning Circle. Mrs. Schneider always followed her lifelong motto: "It's nice to be important, but it's more important to be nice." Her devotion and loyalty to her friends and family was legendary. She adored having grandchildren and great-grandchildren surrounding her at holidays, especially Christmas. And she cherished the many extravagant family vacations she planned. She also loved traveling, gardening, and entertaining. Having an enduring love affair with the island of Nantucket, she spent her wedding anniversary there for 40 years, and considered the island to be one of the most perfect places on Earth. In addition to her daughter, Karen Schneider, Mrs. Schneider is survived by Alan Schneider, her husband of 60 years; her siblings, Jerome Keough of Malvern, Pa.; Robert Keough Jr. of St. Maarten, W.I., and Rosemary Redmond Kerrebrock of Lincoln, Mass.; six grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. Her daughter, Laureen Schneider Lauber, predeceased her. In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to the Society of the Holy Child Jesus, 1341 Montgomery Ave., Rosemont, Pa. 19010,shcj.org/amer/index.html; The Valerie Fund, 2101 Millburn Ave., Maplewood, N.J., 07040,thevaleriefund.org., or the Summit Volunteer First Aid Squad, P.O. Box 234, Summit, N.J., 07902, summitems.org.

Published in Star-Ledger on August 5, 2012