Thomas Francis Schindler

Thomas Francis Schindler July 1, 1941 - March 8, 2006 Tom was born in Grand Rapids, the eldest son of Adolph Stub and Florence Schindler. He left for seminary high school at age 13, the first step in a long life of educational achievement, including a BA from St. Marys Seminary and University in Baltimore, the STL and MTH degrees from St. Pauls University in Ottawa, and the Ph.D. in Religious Social Ethics at the University of Chicago. Ordained a priest in 1968, Tom joined the Order of St. Sulpice and taught at St. Patricks Seminary in Menlo Park, CA, Aquinas College in Grand Rapids, and St. Marys Seminary and University in Baltimore. While in Baltimore, Tom served as a consultant to Bishop Frank Murphy, making significant contributions to the writing of the Bishops Pastoral on War and Peace: The Challenge of Peace: Gods Promise and Our Response. In 1987 Tom became the Director of Ethics at Trinity Health (then Mercy Health) where he developed programs in clinical, organizational, and social ethics for all levels of health care, as well as programs in pastoral/spiritual care for both patients and staff. Throughout all of these positions, Tom actively wrote and published on issues in ethics. His book, Ethics: The Social Dimension, was published in 1989. He was an active participant in policy-making and advocacy groups such as the Michigan Commission on Death and Dying, the Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility, and the Medical Ethics Resource Network of Michigan. Tom retired from Trinity Health in 2001. One key to all of his work was his insistence that the needs of the least  as identified by the least  have first claim to the resources of organizations and society. He completed his JD from Wayne State University in 2002. After serving as an intern for Judge Victoria Brown (U.S. District Court) and Judge Helene White (Michigan Appellate Court), Tom became an attorney for the State Defenders Office, Legal Aid and Defenders Association (Wayne County). At the time of his death, Tom was writing a book about his experiences as a public defender, about the tremendous loss of sacred possibilities he experienced each day in a system better designed for efficient incarceration than for justice. All of this is a matter of public record. What we want to share with you is our knowledge of Tom, the person who hiked, kayaked, skied, and revered the beauty of nature. We want to share with you Tom, the wonderful husband to Gloria Albrecht with whom he recently celebrated 10 years of marriage. Together they built a life of love, partnership and mutual respect. In addition, he enjoyed his friendship with Glorias children: Jeff Albrecht, Missy Campbell and her husband Frank and their two sons, Ryan and Andrew. Tom was close to his sister Sharon Rydzewski, brother Roger Schindler and his wife Beth. He was an active part of their childrens lives, from baptism to the present: Deanna Schindler-Ord, her husband Jason Ord and daughter Josephine; Rebecca Rydzewski and her fiancâ?s Joe Butts, Michelle Rydzewski, Jason Schindler and his wife Jen, Todd Schindler and Jenny Schindler. Tom was also a dear friend to many. While he took no pride in his accomplishments, he took great joy in the beauty of his relationships. Each of us was special in his eyes. Each of us a person of infinite worth. Each of us received the fullness of his wisdom, humor, and love. Each of us touched his heart and became a part of him. If God is manifested in the Spirit that abides in us and through us, then in Tom each of us has witnessed, felt and received that Spirit. He has done his work. Now it is up to us to also bear witness to that Spirit: by loving first the least (Mtt: 25:31), by working for social justice to liberate the oppressed (Luke 4:18), by living lovingly and humbly with all of Gods children and all of Gods creatures. what does God require of you but to do justice, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God (Micah 6: 8)