Family, friends and the many people whose lives she touched are deeply saddened by the passing of Lynn Rachelle Gutovich Schneider on May 3, 2020. Her love of life, courage and tenacity remain an example to all who knew her.
Lynn was born on November 16, 1957 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, the third child and first daughter of Henry and Julie Gutovich, survivors of Nazi-occupied Poland. The close-knit Jewish community Lynn grew up in gave her a strong sense of identity and values, exemplified by her dedication to taking care of others. She studied biology at the University of British Columbia and had an interest in genetic research. Her greatest joy was being with loved ones, especially when they gathered in her home for holiday meals and to mark lifecycle events. She loved the outdoors and spent a lot of time hiking, camping and skiing in the Eastern Sierras. She was thrilled by travel and had a particular fondness for Israel, which she visited frequently. She cherished animals and had a particular passion for saving and protecting Carolina dogs.
Lynn was close to her extended family — siblings and in-laws, nieces and nephews, cousins and friends. She was often referred to as the “matriarch of the Schneider family.” She made everyone feel important. Her core was her Jewish soul, a source of great strength, which she modeled for her children and husband. She is survived by her mother Julie Gutovich, her brothers Harold and Jeffrey Gutovich, and her husband Roy Schneider and their three children Ariel, Aaron and Aliyah. She was predeceased by her beloved father Henry.
It was Lynn’s request that donations in her honor go to Mazon: A Jewish Response to Hunger or to the Carolina dog rescue fund of LOVAR (Lifeline Oro Valley Animal Rescue).
Funeral services were held at JOSEPH P. REARDON FUNERAL HOME in Ventura, California.