LOWVILLE - John Richard Schlieder, 91, died Tuesday morning, September 19, 2017. A memorial service will be held at the First Presbyterian Church, Lowville, on Sunday, October 1, 2017 at 2:00 P.M. with Pastor Laurie Sponaugle officiating. A reception will follow in the basement of the church.
John was born in Croghan on June 29, 1926, son of the late Clarence and Grace Dekin Schlieder. After graduating from Lowville Free Academy in 1944, he enlisted in the US Navy during WWII where he was a hospital apprentice. He studied at Duke University and graduated from Buffalo Dental School in 1953. John began practicing dentistry with his father in Lowville where he remained practicing for 43 years.
John married Betty Payne on July 30, 1949. She died July 19, 2017. John is survived by his three children; Nancy (Mark) Boucher and James (Jackie) Schlieder of Lowville and Andrew (Mary Beth) Schlieder of New Market, NH, seven grandchildren and two great grandchildren. His son John died in 1977.
John was very community and church oriented; he served 13 years on the School Board of Education and was involved with the LACS district's 200th anniversary, he was on the board of trustees of the Lowville Rural Cemetery helping to maintain the integrity of the cemetery and served for ten years on the Mountain View Prevention Board of Directory. John was a member of the First Presbyterian Church for 79 years and served as an Elder for his adult life. In his later years you would often see him working on the landscaping at church or finishing a job inside.
John enjoyed the arts; whether it was creating his wooden projects or on stage singing with the Barbershop Quartet or participating in amateur performances in church and the community.
Some of his most memorable contributions were his involvement with the Show Wagon, the fountain and restoration of the Civil War Statue in front of the First Presbyterian Church, the corner project in downtown Lowville, and instrumental in organizing the Voices of the River.
In lieu of Flowers, donations to the First Presbyterian Memorial Fund or the Lowville Rural Cemetery would be appreciated.
John chose to be donated to SUNY Upstate for scientific study.
