Arthur Garfield "Gar" Schnabel

Arthur Garfield "Gar" Schnabel, 97, formerly of East Providence, passed away peacefully on October 11, 2021. He was born in Tucson, Arizona to the late Dr. Arthur G. Schnabel and Margaret (Coutanche), RN. He was predeceased by his loving wife of more than 65 years, the late Mary Elizabeth "Betty" Schnabel (Haggerty).

After High School he enlisted in the Army to fight in WW II and was deployed to Europe. He was later captured by German forces during The Battle of the Bulge and remained a POW until the end of the war.

Upon returning home from the war, Gar married his high school sweetheart Betty. He attended classes at RISD and later became a highly skilled model maker working in the jewelry industry until his retirement in 1986.

Gar's main passion in life was his art. A talented sculptor and painter, he produced hundreds of pieces of fine art. His talents were evident as he was able to capture the personality of his subjects as well as their likeness in his portraits. He always gave his paintings away because he believed that money was a distraction to the joy of painting.

As a younger dad he rode bicycles with family members and the Narragansett Bay Wheelmen. He also enjoyed a lifetime tinkering with sports cars. He was known for his quick wit, enduring generosity, storytelling, and a vice grip handshake.

Gar had 5 children. He was preceded in death by his son Kurt (Karen), and is survived by his daughter Betsy (John) and his sons Paul (Diane), Mark (Kathy) and Eric (Cheryl) , ten grandchildren and eight great grandchildren.

A committal service with Military Honors will be held in The RI Veteran's Memorial Cemetery Chapel in Exeter, RI. on Oct 29, 2021 at 11 am. Please meet at the administrative building for 10:30. Masks are required.