Lonnie Schnauffer

A celebration for the life of Lonnie Schnauffer, 67, will be held from 1:00 to 4:00 pm on Saturday, August 17, at Hampton Community Center, 3101 McCully Road in Allison Park, Pa. A genuine person, an honest man, and a fun-loving friend, Lonnie bravely opted to forego further treatment for acute myeloid leukemia after undergoing intensive treatment since his diagnosis in the summer of 2018. He passed peacefully at his home in southern Ohio on August 9, 2019 in the company of his cherished life partner of six years and family members.

Born in Ellwood City, Pa. in 1952 on Feb 20 to Gyla and Carl Schnauffer, Lonnie attended grade school at Poff and Central Elementary and graduated from Hampton High School in 1970. He served as an MP in Germany after joining the U.S. Army out of high school. Upon completing his service, he returned to Pennsylvania and worked in sheet metal for 11 years until a serious on-site injury forced him to seek other employment. After graduating at the top of his class in technical school he launched a successful career of 30 years as HVAC designer for Tower Engineering. He retired in 2014.

Just before retirement he met the love of his life, Fran Wayne, who relocated from New Mexico to settle in Pittsburgh with Lonnie for three years. In 2017 they jointly purchased a 90-acre farm in southern Ohio where they planned to reside the rest of their days, choosing to live joyfully immersed in nature, managing their land, and growing blueberries.

Lon had an insatiable curiosity and was a great lover of nature.  His recreational activities included hunting elk and fishing for walleye; searching for antler sheds; growing day lilies; and hiking in Colorado, specifically summiting the "fourteeners.” He was a member of the Western Pennsylvania Mushroom Club and a founding member of the Barnstormers Club, which is devoted to finding and preserving Mail Pouch barns and signs.  He and Fran spent much of their time in the outdoors, hiking, foraging, and simply reveling in nature.  He was loved by many for his kind, upbeat, and spontaneous disposition. No one can recall Lon ever saying anything negative about anyone.  He will be missed greatly by all those who were lucky enough to have known him.

He is survived by his mother Gyla Schnauffer of Gibsonia; his brother Larry of Dunnellon, Florida; his life partner Frances Wayne of Albany, Ohio; and family friend Bob Klein of Pittsburgh.  

In lieu of flowers, family suggests donations made in Lonnie’s name to Western Pennsylvania Conservancy or Appalachia Ohio Alliance. Attendees of Lon’s Celebration of Life will be invited to share their memories of him in an informal setting.  Arrangements were entrusted to Hughes-Moquin Funeral Home in Athens, Ohio, where you may sign the online guestbook or leave a private message of sympathy at our website, www.hughesmoquinfuneralhome.com.