Obituary of Ursula Schniebs

Ursula Schniebs, age 79, of Lake Placid, NY died Saturday, September 22, 2012 at Horace Nye Home of Elizabethtown, NY. She was born January 22, 1933 in Hanover, NH the daughter of Otto and Frida (Knepell) Schniebs. She was a graduate of Lake Placid High School, Class of 1951 and from St. Lawrence University in 1955, obtaining a BA in Business Administration. Ursi, as she was known to friends and family, worked most of her life as an Executive Secretary. She started in 1955 as Executive Secretary for the Director of the Lake Placid Chamber of Commerce and Convention Bureau. She worked for over ten years for the Otto Schniebs Ski Shop at Whiteface Mountain owned by her brother-in-law Bart Patnode and her father. Along the way she developed and ran a cross country ski program for the Adirondack Loj. In 1978 she became the Executive Secretary for the Sports Director for the XIII Winter Olympic Games held in 1980 in Lake Placid, NY. Subsequently she became one of the first employees of the Olympic Regional Development Authority. Ursi worked as an Executive Secretary for several different executives throughout her career at ORDA. She retired in 1995. Ursi enjoyed the outdoors, especially skiing ad was a great friend and benefactor of all animals. She is survived by her sister, Elvira (Bartholomew) Patnode (another sister Camilla Schniebs predeceased her), by her nephew, Patrick Patnode and his wife Susan Cohan, her nieces, Camilla Palumbo and her husband David, Alisa Patnode, Janet Araujo and her husband Luiz, and Alice Bickford and her husband Steven. She also has several great nieces and nephews and two great great nephews. In accordance with her wishes there will be no calling hours and the funeral will be private. Those wishing to remember Ursi may make donations in her name to the Tri Lakes Humane Society. The M. B. Clark, Inc. Funeral Home in Lake Placid, NY is in charge of arrangements. Relatives and friends are invited to "Light a Candle" and leave a memory, thought and prayer for the family at www.mbclarkfuneralhome.com . . .