Irene (Maas) Schneller, age 91, a long-time resident of Winchester, passed away on Dec. 29, 2017. She was the beloved wife of the late Dr. Paul O. Schneller.
Born in 1926, in Karlsruhe, Germany, she was the daughter of the late Ernst and Ursula Maas. She moved to Leicester, England when Irene was 10 years old, where she was raised and educated. Irene received her B.S. from the London School of Economics. During this time, Irene also worked for the BBC in London. She earned her M.A. in Social Psychology from the University of London, where she continued to study and work in research at the affiliated Maudsley Hospital. There, she met Paul Schneller, in 1956, who was also working at the Maudsley Hospital. They were married in New York City in 1959, and, shortly after, they moved to the Boston area, settling in Winchester in 1963 to raise their family.
In her spare time, Irene enjoyed cooking/baking, gardening, traveling, tennis, cross-country skiing, swimming and walking. She also enjoyed playing cards with family and friends, reading, all things theater, and films. Mrs. Schneller was a founding member of the Winchester Swim and Tennis Club, and an active volunteer for the Winchester Historical Society, the Jenks Center and the Winchester Public Library. She also worked for Good Measure in Cambridge, MA.
Irene is survived by her children: Andrew M. Schneller and wife Cathleen of Winchester, Carol Anne Lehrmann and husband Ed of Larkspur, CA and John M. Schneller and wife Doreen of Bedford, NH. She was also the dear sister of Douglas Maas and the devoted grandmother of Rose and Henry Lehrman, Mia, Matthew, Harrison and Ryan Schneller. Visiting Hours will be held in the Costello Funeral Home, 177 Washington St., Winchester, on Sunday, January 7th, from 2-5 PM. A Memorial Service will be held at the Winchester Unitarian Society, 478 Main St., on Monday, January 8th at 10:30 AM. Relatives and friends kindly invited to attend. Burial is private. If desired, donations in Irene’s memory may be made to the American Diabetes Association 2451 Crystal Drive, Suite 900 Arlington, VA 22202. www.diabetes.org