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Schnarr, James, age 74, passed peacefully at home in the house he built.
James is survived by his wife Melissa Zimmer Schnarr, his children Christine
(Anthony) Chiarello, J.R. (Barbie) Schnarr Jr., and Jon (Laura) Schnarr;
his grandchildren Tess and Anthony Chiarello, Paige and Brooke Schnarr, Jon
Jr., Glen “Ollie”, and Franklin Schnarr; his step-children Vincent, Sophia and Lana
Cristiani; eldest brother Dick (Pat) Schnarr . He was a dear brother, uncle, cousin and friend.
Jim was born in Creve Coeur to German immigrants. He was raised on the family homestead, where he worked the fields with his father Roy, mother Genevieve (Mueller) and siblings. The Schnarr’s Ladue Road farmstand, boasting fresh sweet corn, tomatoes and other produce, was a regular stop for Creve Coeur residents from the time Ladue Road was simply a gravel track through the late 1980’s.
Jim was a proud alumnus of the St. Louis Country Day School. He earned his Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Missouri University of Science & Technology in Rolla, where he was a member of the Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity and the Rolla #213 Masonic Lodge. Even after retiring, Jim so valued education that her returned to school to earn an Associates Degree in Horticulture.
For most of his career, Jim worked with the Ralston Purina Company as a project manager. He later served in the same capacity of Alberici Construction and Hagar Hinge. Some of his fondest memories were from the years he spent living in France and Mexico constructing manufacturing facilities and otherwise trotting the globe for his employers.
Jim was an avid outdoorsman, hunter, fisherman, falconer, gardener and all-around DIY-er. He never sat still, until, finally the back injury he suffered in his teen years from being run over by a tractor on the farm got the better of him. He loved a glass of scotch or red wine and a cigar with engaging company, holding court in his later years from the greenhouse he had added to the back of the house. As he liked to note, the red wine significantly improved his French language skills. He had an infectious, booming laugh and could, quite literally, fix anything.
Family, friends, fraternity brothers, and co-workers who would like to pay their respects and share memories and stories to celebrate Jim’s life are invited to join together for a Celebration of Life on Thursday, August 15, 2019, from 3:00 pm to 7:00 pm at the American Legion Post 397, 394 E. Rue La Banque , Creve Coeur, MO 63141. A simple ceremony committing his urn to the earth will be held graveside at Bellerive Gardens earlier in the day. Please contact an immediate