Edward John Schneider

Edward John Schneider, 91, went home to be with his Lord on November 13, 2020.  He was born on October 2, 1929 in Grosse Pointe Farms, Michigan to Siebert and Hedwig Schneider.  He grew up in Oakwood, Ohio and graduated from Oakwood High School.  He graduated from General Motors Institute and the University of Michigan with a Bachelors’ Degree in Mechanical Engineering and a Masters’ Degree in Industrial Engineering.  In 1954 he received a direct commission as a Second Lieutenant in the United States Air Force stationed in Dayton, Ohio. In 1954, he married Lillian Davis.  He completed his Air Force duty as a First Lieutenant and served as a Production Procurement Officer at Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico. After completion of his Air Force tour in 1956, Ed became a Sales Engineer of analog computers with Electronic Associates in Long Branch, New Jersey. There Ed held positions in Sales, Manufacturing Management and Corporate Planning. In 1968, Ed moved his family from Middletown, NJ to Plantation, Florida, where he joined a start-up electronics company in Ft. Lauderdale, Computer Products, as the Manager of Manufacturing. During his 20-year stint with Computer Products, Ed provided leadership that grew the company’s Power Conversion Group into a multi division international leader in the power supply industry and in 1985 Ed was named President and CEO.  In 1988, Ed and several colleagues purchased a division of Computer Products and started a new company, Unipower Corporation. Ed served as Executive Director with responsibility for Strategic Planning, Marketing, and International Sales.  Unipower grew impressively over the following years, earning the Florida Sterling Quality Award in 1991 and recognized by Inc. Magazine in 1993 in their INC 500 list of the fastest growing private companies in America.  Ed retired from Unipower in 1998 at age 68.  Ed was a member of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Walla Walla, WA. and possessed a strong faith in the Lord.

Ed had a contagious zest for life and believed in smelling the roses his entire life.  He and his family enjoyed their waterfront second home in the Florida Keys where he could hop on his sailboat or motorboat at a moments’ notice. Ed loved sailing, golf, tennis, fishing, skiing, traveling, visiting with family and friends and his beloved wife, daughters, and grandchildren.  He was an avid photographer and spent hours on his computer with email, photography, and the internet.  In 1999, Ed’s wife Lillian and daughter Jill both lost battles with breast cancer.  In 2000, Ed married Helen Logan of Walla Walla, Washington.  Ed and Helen continued to enjoy traveling, particularly on international cruises and to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico while residing in Islamorada, Delray Beach and Walla Walla.  Ed and his wife Helen are founding directors of the Harkness Institute high school in Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico. In a final achievement, his Oakwood High School in 2017 awarded him their Distinguished Alumni Award for his career success and his international philanthropy.  He was blessed to enjoy the last year of his life living in Florida surrounded by his family and friends.

Ed will be remembered as a loving husband, father, grandfather, great grandfather, and friend. His family and friends remember him as a great storyteller and an energetic communicator with a giving heart.  His parents were German immigrants who came to America in the 1920’s.  He developed a passion for his German roots and fostered a lasting connection between his family in Germany, England, and America. In 2020, he chronicled his life in his autobiography titled “You Get What You Go For.”

He leaves behind his beloved wife, Helen, three daughters: Joy Watford (Mark), Janet Bell (Michael) and Jennifer Miller (Randall), two step-daughters: Laura Bethel (Dale) and Valerie Davies (Timothy), six grandchildren: Andrew, Aaron, Chelsea, Douglas, Steven and Samantha, one step-grandson, Andy, and two great-grandsons, Richard and Henry.  His beloved family, European family and dear friends are his legacy.  Ed was preceded in death by his first wife Lillian, his daughter Jill Jones and his son-in-law Gary Jones.  He touched many lives in his 91 years and he will be dearly missed.

A celebration of his life will be held in Spring 2021.  Donations in memory of Ed can be made to Children’s Harbor, 19425 SW 58th Manor, Pembroke Pines, FL 33332 or to a charity of your choice.

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