Dennis Leon Schneider Passes Away in Topeka After Cancer Battle
Dennis Leon Schneider, a longtime Topeka-area tradesman and the youngest of 13 children, passed away at his home on October 28, 2026, at the age of 67, following a six-year battle with cancer. According to the Parker-Price and Davidson Funeral Home of Topeka, his death was attributed to natural causes.
Born on March 25, 1959, at Winchester Hospital to Celestine and Armella (Herbers) Schneider, Dennis grew up in Nortonville, Kansas, where he attended St. Joseph Catholic School and Jefferson County North High School. Throughout his adult life, he built a career working in construction and as a carpet layer in the Topeka area. He initially learned the trade from Phil Stallons, later collaborated with Craig Gates, and eventually operated his own independent business for several years before concluding his working career with PDQ Construction prior to the onset of his illness.
Family History and Scheduled Services in Topeka
Schneider’s personal life included two marriages. He married Cindi Snyder on May 12, 1984, in Kirksville, Missouri. While the couple later divorced and subsequently remarried, they were separated at the time of his passing. On June 15, 1991, he married Dorothy M. “Dottie” Strickland in Nortonville, and the two remained married until her death on May 28, 1996.
Schneider was preceded in death by his wife Dorothy, his parents, and several siblings, including brothers Celestine Jr., Bob, Don, and Tom, as well as sisters Darlene, Pauline, Marilyn, Glenda, and Alice, who died in infancy. He is survived by his estranged wife, Cindi, and her parents, Merle and Carolyn Snyder of Kirksville, Missouri; stepdaughters Kim (Matthew) Songs of Collinsville, Oklahoma, Mariah Dain of Topeka, and Viktoreia McBride; and several grandchildren, including Ian and Isaac Songs and Noah Jackson, alongside granddaughters Sierra and Josie Jackson.
Additional survivors include his brothers David (Rhonda) Schneider of Nortonville, and Mike Schneider of Atchison; his sister Donna (Marty) Moranville of Colorado; long-time friends Jane Henry of Winchester, and Tim and Sarah Weishaar of Meriden; and his “other sisters,” Karen Pantle Weishaar and Sue Pantle Gilliland.
A graveside inurnment service is scheduled for November 21, 2026, at 11:00 a.m. at Prairie Home Cemetery. A celebration of life will follow from noon to 2:00 p.m. at the Parker-Price and Davidson Funeral Home. In lieu of flowers, the family has requested that memorial contributions be directed to the St. Francis Cancer Center.
