Myron "Mike" O. Schneiderwent

Myron “Mike” Schneiderwent, 78, died Friday, May 10, 2013 with his loving wife, Marian at his side. His death was caused by complications due to congestive heart failure.

Mike was born on January 8, 1935 in Milwaukee, WI.

He earned his high school diploma from Wausau Senior High School in 1952. In 1960, he received his BS degree from the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point and his MA degree in the Teaching of Science and Mathematics from Western Michigan University. In 1964, he received his MSCS degree in Physics and Mathematics from the University of Mississippi. In 1970 he received his Ed.D degree from the University of Northern Colorado.

Mike served his country in the United States Army during the Korean conflict and served as a tanker with the 6th Tank Bn, 24th Infantry Division. He served in the Army Reserve and then the Wisconsin Army National Guard where he served at a number of administrative positions. He was discharged and his last duty was a small weapons instructor and coordinator of the Wisconsin National Guard Pistol team. He was a winter operations instructor and member of the Wisconsin Army National Guard Biathlon team. He received his discharge and retired from the Army in 1993.

Mike married Marian Kolbeck on December 13, 1954 in Wausau, WI and celebrated fifty-eight years of marriage.

Mike was a lifetime educator. He began his teaching career in 1960 at Muskegon, MI and moved on to Interlochen Arts Academy in Interlochen, MI as a physics instructor and became involved with Harvard Project Physics. He was head of the Programmed Instruction Group at Harvard and began his University teaching at the University of Wisconsin-Superior in 1967, where he retired from full time teaching in 2000. He came out of retirement later in 2000 to teach Distance Learning classes in beginning physics. Mike enjoyed being an educator right up until his death in May 2013.

Mike was a member of the National Society of Science Teachers, the American Association of Physics Teachers, the Wisconsin Society of Science Teachers, the Enlisted Association, the American Legion, the National Rifle Association and the Ambridge Gun Club. He won (in his age group) the Fort McCoy Marathon and he participated in the American Birkebeiner three times.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Richard and Anna Schneiderwent, his older brother Elvin and his sister Doris.
Mike is survived by his wife, Marian; his two children, Jeanna (Michael) Francisconi, Dillon, MT and Craig (Diane Balmer) Schneiderwent, Madison, WI; granddaughter, Tsea Francisconi and brother LeRoy Schneiderwent, Lake Havasu, AZ.

Mike was lovingly cared for at home by his wife, Marian and was at Solvay Hospice House for three days before he passed on Friday, May 10th.

A Time of Remembrance and Celebration of Life will be held from 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM on Thursday, May 16, 2013 in the Downs-LeSage Funeral Home at 1304 Hammond Avenue, Superior.

Military honors will be accorded by the Richard I. Bong American Legion Post #435 Honor Guard at the funeral home following the Time of Remembrance.

Burial will be at the Spooner Veterans Memorial Cemetery at a later date.

Should friends desire, memorials may be made in Mike’s name to the UWS Foundation - Myron (Mike) Schneiderwent Scholarship Fund.

To leave an online condolence or to sign the guestbook, please visit www.downs-lesage.com.