Oneonta - Harry A. "Bud" Schnell, 59, of Lower Reservoir Road, passed away on August 30, 2009.


Bud was born on November 16, 1949 in Huntington, NY, the son of Yvonne Hitchcock Schnell and Harry Schnell Sr.


He graduated from Halfhollow Hills High School in the Class of 1967. Following graduation he enrolled at the State University at Oneonta and received a Bachelors Degree in Economics in 1972. While attending college he was a member of Phi Delta Rho fraternity. It was also there that he met his future wife Judy Anello Schnell.


Bud is survived by his daughter, Heather Babbitt and her husband, Rich of Oneonta and his son, Dustin Schnell of Arlington, Virginia. His granddaughters, the lights of his life, Isabella Babbitt and Abigal Babbitt. His sisters, Harriet Bears of Spring Hill, Florida and Madeline Jarosak of Smithtown, New York. He is also survived by his nephew and nieces, Robbie Jarosak, Donna Jarosak, Jonathon Reed and Karen Reed.


In addition to his immediate family he is survived by a wide circle of friends, especially Deb Wood, all of whose lives were made fuller by knowing him.

He was a manufacturing production supervisor starting his career at F.N. Burt in Oneonta. He then went to work for At-A-Glance and Mead Westvaco as an Operation Manager. While at Mead he successfully helped spearhead the company wide implementation of SAP Software. At the time of his death he was employed by Maple Vail Book Manufacturing in Kirkwood, New York.

He was a past member of the West Oneonta Fire Department and on the Board of Directors of the YMCA. He currently served on the Board of the Bugbee Children Center and actively volunteered at Habitat for Humanity.


Bud will be remembered for his passion for life and his willingness to step forward and help when it was needed. At the age of 13 he was a nationally ranked Junior Speed skater and an Olympic hopeful winning the National Indoor and North American Outdoor Championship. In later years he was an avid skier. Perhaps his greatest joy was flying. He was an instrument rated pilot and aircraft owner for over 20 years. When not piloting airplanes he occasionally jumped out of them as a novice skydiver.

The family will be attendance at the Lewis, Hurley & Pietrobono Funeral Home, 51 Dietz Street, Oneonta on Thursday, September 3, 2009 from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. and 6:00 to 8:00 p.m.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held 10:00 a.m. Friday, September 4, 2009 at St. Mary's Roman Catholic Church, 39 Walnut Street, Oneonta with the Rev. Joseph Benintende as celebrant. Burial will follow at the Mt. Calvary Cemetery in Emmons.

For those who wish to make donations in Bud's name, they can be made to the Bugbee Children Center, Oneonta, NY 13820 or the Habitat for Humanity, 50 Dietz Street, Oneonta, NY 13820.

Online condolences may be sent to the family at lhpfuneralhome.com.

The Lewis, Hurley & Pietrobono Funeral Home, 51 Dietz Street in Oneonta is serving the family.