Obituary of Loretta Eleanor Schnitzius

Loretta Eleanor Schnitzius passed away on March 12, 2024, in Cocoa Beach, FL, just a month after her husband John of 62 years.

Loretta was born on October 28, 1937, the daughter of Felix Michael Thompson and Helen (Gąsior), and grew up in Camden, New Jersey.  She met her life partner John at the Dancette Ballroom in Oaklyn, NJ, and they were married February 24, 1962. 

Loretta was an award-winning artist specializing in watercolor painting.  She received recognition as the poster artist for the Space Coast Art Festival and received awards in numerous shows and exhibitions in and around Brevard County, New Jersey, and the Rehoboth, Lewes, and Cape Henlopen, Delaware area.  She was active in the Florida Watercolor Society, the Brevard Arts Council, and numerous other artist groups and galleries. Her skills live on in the students she taught in classes down the years and inherently through her children and grandchildren.

She was an active boater and sailor for many years, and was active with the Grumpy Ole Sailors and the East Coast Sailing Association with her husband, John.  As a pair, they took numerous camping trips all around Florida, the United States, and internationally.  Despite her desire to always run off and have the next adventure, she was the steadying influence in her household for her whole life.  For many years she attended mass and was active in the church and organizations at Our Savior Catholic Church in Cocoa Beach, and was an amazing wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, and friend.

She is survived by her three children, Kevin Schnitzius and his wife Kim, Danielle Schnitzius Norwood and her husband Charlie, and Mark Schnitzius and his wife Marjorie; her five grandchildren, Abi Schnitzius, Livia Schnitzius, Bryce Schnitzius, Chaeli Norwood Harden (Kevin), and Chase Norwood, and by her great grandson, Kix Harden.  She is preceded in death by her husband, John Schnitzius, her parents, Felix and Helen, and by her brother, Tom Thompson.

Services will be held graveside at 2pm on Tuesday, March 19th at Florida Memorial Gardens in Rockledge.  In lieu of flowers her family asks that donations be made in Loretta’s name to the Cancer Center of Merritt Island.