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Beloved volunteer and friend Doris Schnepf passed away on January 18, 2021 at the age of 93.  Pictured above with our Director of Finance Carmen Iditoiu, Doris was fiercely independent.  After working for 43 years in the accounting department at Meldrum & Fewsmith Ad Agency in downtown Cleveland, Doris kept active volunteering with us, the Ohio Art Association, and Bethany English Lutheran Church.  Director of Programs Kate Cohen recalls, "She was very much committed to always being at our office on her assigned days, regardless of the weather. She took public transportation downtown [from her home in North Olmsted] and got to the office even in a snowstorm and was always right on time."  Carmen, who developed a very close friendship with Doris over their years working together, eventually started giving Doris rides to and from the office.  "It took me several years to convince her to let me drive her.  I miss our long chats about families, art shows, and travel that we used to have on our way to and from the office."

She was a hardworking part of our team in the Cleveland headquarters office for almost 20 years, typing up office forms and letters on her typewriter starting in the 1990s and organizing files and photos for participants and groups we hosted locally.  "Doris was a wonderful, regular, faithful, and very pleasant volunteer for many years. Her presence was always something I looked forward to when she had planned to come in, usually weekly. She did anything she was asked to do, as we were always very busy and short staffed. No job was too small or too big for her, she just pitched in. What a marvelous person she was, and such a kind soul. I loved her so much. My condolences to the family of this lovely lady," says Dorothy Faller, our former Director.  President Lisa Purdy recalls fondly, "I enjoyed teaching Doris how to use the computer for the first time. She was very nervous and thought she would break the machine. After a few times she did get the hang of it and actually did quite well but she preferred to use her trusty typewriter.  Every time I see that brown typewriter I think of Doris."  She also volunteered at events, registering participants and anything else she could do to help.


From left: Former President Dorothy Faller, fellow volunteer Mary Lou Pollock, Doris Schnepf, and Carmen Iditoiu in the Spring of 2019.

Doris loved dogs, her family, and collecting calendars and souvenir spoons from all around the world. She was a big fan of baseball, especially the Cleveland Indians.  Doris was famous around the office for bringing boxes of her much treasured Christmas cookies to share with us around the holidays.  Please click here to view her obituary with information about her memorial service.  

Goodbye, Doris.  Thank you for your many years of service and friendship.  You will remain in our hearts always.