Philip Adam Schneiders

Philip A. Schneiders, 58, of Westminster, Colo., formerly of Sioux City, passed away Monday, Aug. 25, 2014, at his residence in Colorado. Services will be 10:30 a.m. Wednesday at St. Boniface Catholic Church, with the Rev. Michael Erpelding officiating. Burial will be in Calvary Cemetery. Visitation will be 4 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, with the family present 6 to 8 p.m., at Meyer Brothers Colonial Chapel. Philip A. Schneiders was born Jan. 31, 1956, in Sioux City, the son of Joseph N. and Patricia (Gallagher) Schneiders. Philip graduated from North High School in Sioux City in 1974. He received two degrees from Western Iowa Tech, an associate degree in electronic communications in 1976 and an electronic engineering degree in 1982. He began his career repairing CB radios at the Truck Haven Truck Stop in Sioux City. He later moved to Denver to work as a computer software engineer for At&T Bell Labs and its subsequent spinoffs, Lucent Technologies and Avaya Inc. In 1984, while working for AT&T, he was instrumental in the development of the Audix answering system. Over the course of his career, he mastered many computer programming languages. He retired in 2010 for medical reasons. Although disabled at birth with cerebral palsy, Philip lived independently with the aid of crutches. As a child, he was the Easter Seals Society Poster Child and had spent time at Camp Sunnyside in Iowa City, Iowa. He lived life to the fullest and his disabilities did not preclude him from driving, learning to fly a plane, bungee jumping, and riding the rapids. In 2010, Philip was struck with Guillaine-Barré syndrome that eventually confined him to an electric wheelchair. While in Denver, Philip forged many friendships in the Mexican community. He learned to speak fluent Spanish. He was known for his sense of humor, intelligence, and unending generosity, never declining a request for help. He was a devoted brother who kept the family memories alive. He was an avid sci-fi fan, which included collecting Star Trek memorabilia. He enjoyed working on model airplanes and tinkering with communication devices. He is survived by his sisters, Adora Schneiders and Mabet Simoni of Sioux City; his brothers, Bill Schneiders of Sioux City, and Joe Schneiders and Linda Jones of Sioux Falls; six nieces and nephews; six great-nieces and nephews; and his much beloved four-legged companions, Feisty and Cricket. His family takes comfort in knowing that Phil is no longer bound by his earthly limitations. His kindness and wonderful sense of humor will be greatly missed by everyone who knew him.