Rapid City – Andrew "Andy" Schneider, 73, died Thursday, January 2, 2025.

Visitation will be 1:00 to 2:00 pm Thursday, January 9 at South Canyon Lutheran Church, with the Funeral Service at 2:00 pm.

Burial will be at Mt. View Cemetery.

Everyone who knows Andy, knows he was a man with at least 9 lives. He embraced each one of them with passion and made the most of every opportunity. He lived life to the fullest. Unfortunately, his most recent one was cut far too short and he will be dearly missed by his loved ones. He left a big void in all our hearts that will be difficult to fill.

Andrew "Andy" Jay Schneider was born to Eleanor "Ruth" McNutt and Adolph "Bud" Eugene Schneider in Hot Springs, South Dakota on September 24, 1951. He passed away unexpectedly on Thursday January 2nd, 2025 at his home in Rapid City, South Dakota. He is survived by numerous loved ones including but certainly not limited to his wife, Karla Schneider, his four children: Sarah Mann and her husband Michael Mann, and their three children (Presleigh, Paxton and Paislynn), Brittany Linial and her son Owen, Jessie Schneider and her husband Tung Nguyen and  their fur baby Lou, his youngest, Eli Schneider and his fiancée Liz Mentele and their fur baby Gunnar, and lastly his best friend and beloved fur baby Penny. He is also survived by his mother, Ruth Schneider at the amazing age of 99, siblings Dave and Lisa Schneider, Sandy Troy and Wendy and Scott Adams. He is survived by numerous loved ones and extended family that includes: his in-laws, cousins, nieces, nephews and a significant number of cherished friends. Andy was preceded in death by his father Adolph, his son Ryan, his brother-in-law Will Kallal and his father and mother-in-law Richard and Ardelle Erdmann.

Andy loved to share stories about all of his wild and crazy adventures, mishaps and UNBELIEVABLE moments. He was the most animated storyteller. His excitement and passion bled "sometimes literally" into everything he did and said. Andy was a man of many talents. He developed an early passion of golf and he shared this passion with his father. The two of them would enjoy walking the golf course and playing a round together. He would even sneak onto driving ranges at night for extra practice. The love of this sport continued throughout his life. He continued to enjoy golf with his son Eli and wife Karla. His passion for sports extended beyond golf. He spent many years coaching his children in a variety of sports. You always knew when Andy was at the ball fields as one could hear his booming voice throughout the ball park. He made sure everyone could hear his words of encouragement, and watching them, he either helped or coached many of his children's teams. He was an incredible coach and even better father.

From and early age you could also find Andy in the pool halls. He had an immense passion for the game of billiards and won South Dakota State 8 Ball Championship in 1980. His talent took him on the road to Houston, Texas where he was able to make a living playing pool for a period of time. He continued playing pool throughout his life and continued to shine in several tournaments and in pool leagues. Most recently, he continued as a substitute player on his son Eli's pool team.

One of Andy's greatest joys in  life came from his skills as a carpenter. He made a living building homes for a period of time. He also completely remodeled every home he lived in with his family. He was still building and remodeling their current home at the time of his passing. He left behind many memories and beautiful craftmanship for his family to enjoy. His most recent project has been an addition on his property which is a new garage with an attached apartment. This was for the expressed reason to host his family. He truly loved being able to provide a beautiful and comfortable home for his loved ones.

Andy is most notably known for his love of wine. He was an incredibly dedicated student. He would drive to Denver and back every week, for months, so he could attend his Sommelier courses. He would joke about being a poor student in high school and that the only books he ever read besides his wine books were the Lord of the Rings trilogy. His dedication to his wine studies certainly suited him and he was able to build an incredible community surrounding the family and the store. He hosted many wine tastings and dinners. He was told time and time again that the Friday night wine tastings, that eventually took over the backroom of the store, were some of the best nights out. The friendships he formed within the wine community afforded him, his family and his friends opportunities to visit and stay at some of the most picturesque wineries. Some of our most memorable and favorite memories of him are with a wine glass in his hand. He is truly loved and will be missed by us all.

In lieu of flowers, please send donations to the Black Hills Humane Society in honor of Andy.

Arrangements with www.osheimschmidt.com