George Ferdinand Schnack Obituary - Visitation & Funeral Information

At 102 years of age, George Ferdinand Schnack, MD, peacefully passed away on February 21, 2020, at his home in Honolulu, Hawaii, with family at his side. George, the son of Ferdinand John Henry Schnack and Mary Medora Pearson, was the second generation to be born in Honolulu, Hawaii, on June 17, 1917. George attended Punahou School, grades 1 – 12, and graduated number one in his class of 1935. George, like his father, attended Stanford University where he received an A.B. in 1939, and an A.M. in 1940, and then went on to Harvard Law School. After one year, George decided not to complete law school and eventually, after serving in World War II, went on to study medicine at Johns Hopkins University where he earned his M.D. From there, he studied psychiatry at the Psychiatric Institute in New York City where he met his wife Patricia Tibbals, a nurse on the children’s ward. After George completed his residency at Columbia University, he and Patricia returned to Honolulu in 1959. Once settled back in Honolulu, George opened a private psychiatric practice while also heading the Mental Health Clinic at Lanakila Health Center. Through the years, George worked with the Juvenile Court, lectured at the University of Hawaii, and consulted for the Peace Corps Training Program. George was an active member of the community, serving on several boards and involved with many charitable organizations among them; the Big Brothers of Hawaii, the Health and Community Service Council, the Palama Settlement, the Mental Health Association of Hawaii, and the Child and Family Service. George was awarded for Exceptional Service to the Community by Big Brothers and Commended by the 4th Legislature of the State of Hawaii. George was passionate about travel. He and Patricia traveled to 6 continents and visited more than 85 countries. Whether it was hiking or driving dirt roads, George liked to explore. He spent his honeymoon and many summers hiking with Patricia and his children in the Canadian Rockies. George enjoyed writing about his life and did so in Snafu, The World War II Memoir of a Honolulu Man. He also shared his adventures in India, China, the continental United States and the Pacific Islands with Geographic Expeditions. George is survived by his wife of 65 years, Patricia Tibbals Schnack; 6 children: Leslie Kathryn Maioho (daughter with first wife, Vlasta Irene Taylor), Jacquelyn Schnack Curtis, Randall Warren Schnack, Marjorie Schnack, Carolyn Schnack, and Cynthia Schnack Lee; 14 grandchildren, 8 great grandchildren and 2 great-great grandchildren. Family members will celebrate George’s life and his ashes will be laid to rest at the Oahu Memorial Cemetery at a date to be determined. Last, as a young boy, George lived across from the Bishop Museum and would very often sneak in to study the exhibited royal robes, kāhili, native Hawaiian birds, shells, and insects. This fueled a lifelong fascination with anthropology and sociology of the Polynesian Cultures and inspired him to set up an endowed fund with the Museum. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the George F Schnack Endowed Fund of the Bishop Museum, 1525 Bernice St, Honolulu, HI 96817.

George Ferdinand Schnack

June 17, 1917 - February 21, 2020