Dr. Jonathan A Schneider

On March 27, 2018, Jonathan A. Schneider, D.O., Captain/USN/ Retired (AKA “Dr. Jon”) completed his assigned earthly mission by persevering, keeping his faith, and finishing strong at the Eastern Gate of his Father’s Heavenly home. He leaves behind (temporarily) his wife, Susan Schneider, and his children, Robert Schneider, Jonathan M. Schneider, and Katherine Vanden Bergh, son-in law, Benjamin Vanden Bergh, and grandson, Noah Vanden Bergh.

Dr. Jon considered his earthly life to be a journey with a series of deployments in which he was accompanied by the Holy Spirit to serve as his moral, ethical, and spiritual compass. Born to Ruth and David Schneider in New York City on March 29, 1947, Dr. Jon moved 13 times within the eastern United States, where he completed his primary education. He attended Nasson College in Springvale, Maine, graduating Summa Cum Laude, and subsequently attended the Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine, graduating in 1974. Upon graduation, he served his internship and Pediatric residency at Naval Medical Center Portsmouth (VA), where he remained until 1982 as a staff pediatrician. Katherine, Robert and Jonathan were born in Portsmouth during that time. In the summer of 1982, Dr. Jon and his family were transferred to Naval Medical Center San Diego, where, in 1987, he successfully completed a fellowship in adolescent medicine. From 1987 until the time he retired from the Navy in 1993, Dr. Jon served as both the hospital’s Intern Coordinator (88 interns yearly) and as the Director of the Transitional Internship Program (22 interns yearly). In 1991, Dr. Jon was deployed for six months on the USS Peleliu, where he served as the Command Amphibious Task Force Surgeon and was responsible for the medical planning for a five ship task force. He was responsible for the evacuation planning of Clark Air Force Base and Subic Bay Naval Hospital in June 1991 when Mount Pinatubo erupted and forced the evacuation of both bases. Upon his return from deployment, both he and his amphibious-ready group were recipients of multiple awards for their achievements during the six-month period. In June of 1993, Dr. Jon retired from the Navy, having completed a distinguished, highly decorated 20-year career.

The same month, Dr. Jon and his family transitioned to civilian life in Orlando, Florida. Once there, he practiced at the Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children and Nemours Children’s Clinics. At every hospital Dr. Jon worked at (in the Navy and in civilian life), he received the Teacher of the Year Award at least once and sometimes several times. Most important to Dr. Jon, however, was his involvement in community medicine. He started both mobile health outreach and fixed site school-based health centers for the most needy children and teens, obtaining Partners in Education Awards for the sponsoring hospitals.  In 2003, Dr. Jon left Orlando to work at the University of Florida in Jacksonville. His first month in Jacksonville, Dr. Jon partnered with St. Vincent Hospital to start another mobile health outreach for children and teens, which provides full service healthcare to 23 middle schools and high schools in Duval County in addition to providing services to others schools and churches during the summer months. This model program provides free services to all patients and has survived financially through philanthropic gifts, including new mobile units. Dr. Jon was the Medical Director for this project at its inception, and, when he retired from the University in 2007, he continued to serve in that capacity as a full-time volunteer.  He considered this to be his mission and the best way to serve and glorify GOD. Dr. Jon would often say that the most meaningful of awards were the Faith in Action Award from Hands on Jacksonville and an award from St. Vincent Hospital for living out their core values of providing services to those in most need.

In 2009, Dr. Jon found out that he had stage 4 of a very rare cancer (neuroendocrine cancer and the rarest subtype, atypical carcinoid). Gradually, this cancer required him to slow down from volunteering. Dr. Jon viewed this as a detour, and through the Holy Spirit he was able to not only maintain a positive attitude, but also share his faith/testimony with hundreds of others. He did this through his writings, publishing two books, and by sharing the multitude of true medical miracles over his journey with cancer.  He never felt that he was fighting cancer, but rather viewed it as part of the journey that required him to follow the Holy Spirit and to trust his Holy Father implicitly. That said, Dr. Jon never had any doubt about where the final road would take him.  Now, he looks forward to greeting family and friends at the Eastern Gate to welcome them home. The best part of his eternal life has just begun…

A Celebration of Life Service will be held at 11:00 am, Saturday, April 14, 2018 at Christian Family Chapel, 10365 Old St. Augustine Road, Jacksonville, FL. 32257.

In lieu of flowers, Dr. Jon has requested that any gifts be sent to the St. Vincent Foundation, specifically the Jonathan Schneider Pediatric Mobile Health Endowment. Those donations will allow Mobile Health Outreach to defray costs for nurses’ salaries and operational costs.