Joseph Allan Schneider
1955 – 2025
Joseph Allan Schneider, a pillar of the community and pioneer in arboriculture, departed peacefully with his children, Jake and Linden, and girlfriend of 20 years, Loreen, by his side early July 3, 2025 at the age of 70 in San Francisco, California.
Born in 1955 in St. Cloud, Minnesota, Joe came to California in his early twenties to pursue a career in modern dance after completing his training from the College of St. Benedict, in his hometown of St. Joseph, Minnesota. He ended up in Calistoga to work with his best childhood friend Alex Dirkheising where he met the mother of his two children, Mary Jo Geitner and started a family. He began his journey with trees in 1977 with John Britton Tree Service in St. Helena. Together with friend and fellow arborist Rick Patrick, he established Pacific Tree Care in 1983, based in Calistoga, where he remained president with his son Jacob [Jake] I. Schneider until his passing.
Under his leadership, Pacific Tree Care grew into a respected firm serving the North Bay, rooted in a biological approach to tree care, recognizing trees as living beings to be cared for. Joe was renowned for his expert knowledge, passion for education, and high standards in arboriculture—so much so that he helped establish and support the Calistoga Tree Coalition, regularly taught and engaged in the scientific arboricultural community through regional, national, and international industry groups. Joe had the honor to be mentored by Dr. Alex Shigo “the father of modern arboriculture” and Dr. Shigo’s knowledge was foundational to the care Joe provided to trees. Joe’s ability to expertly navigate a complex tree climb was exemplified by his clandestine ascent of the second largest tree in the world, the Washington Tree, in 1990 with friends Robert Phillips and Bo Hunter. As the 56th Certified Arborist in the Western Chapter of the International Society of Arboriculture, Joe built Pacific Tree Care, along with the steadfast support and efforts of his son Jake, into a thriving business that supports the livelihoods of 30 employees to serve the trees and their communities in the North Bay to this day with “Excellence in Arboriculture”.
Joe’s generosity and self-less nature is exemplified through his charitable giving and love for his community and family. In 1993 he was awarded Citizen of the Year in Calistoga and ten years later [2004] was recognized by his intellectual community with the honorable President's Award from the Western Chapter of the International Society of Arboriculture. He regularly supported the Angelman Syndrome Foundation in honor of his niece’s child Henry, Sunrise Horse Rescue, and numerous other charitable and art related foundations and funds. Joe generously shared his love for trees through the donation and planting of trees, most notably planting the flowering pears that grace Main St. in Calistoga. Joe eagerly embraced all of the children in his life with love and care, including his grandchildren Giana Tyrrell, Felix Rominger, Kai Montiel, and Emerson Montiel.
Joe was a devoted father of three, sharing his respect for and admiration of nature through his vast knowledge, unique abilities as a teacher, and never ending curiosity. Known for his kindness and compassion Joe’s legacy lives on through his children, extended family, and a network of friends, colleagues and clients who admired him as a mentor and friend. His loving and kind nature, extended without reservation to anyone he encountered, is deeply missed by the communities he was a part of. Go out and Touch Trees, for Joe, Joey, Joseph. We miss you buddy, peace in your heart.
Joe is survived by his three children Jacob I Schneider of Hidden Valley Lake [Annie Schneider, Giana Tyrrell], Linden M Schneider of Kaneohe, Hawai’i [Andrew Rominger, Felix Rominger], Josette R Schneider of Rumson, New Jersey, his sister Rosann Mijolhus [Kris Mjolhus, Katie Klug and Eric Mjolhus] of St. Cloud, Minnesota, his partner of 20 years Loreen Andrews [Ariel Andrews, Rodrigo Montiel, Kai Montiel, Emerson Montiel] and the countless nieces and nephews and trees and their communities that he cared for.
In honor of his legacy, donations can be directed to The Britton Fund— an organization that embodies Joe’s lifelong dedication to holistic tree stewardship through its mission to create and enable knowledge by raising financial support for research and education to promote excellence and advancement in the field of arboriculture for the public good. Together, we care for trees. https://www.thebrittonfund.org/
