HARRISBURG (TNS) — Long-time PennLive outdoors writer Marcus Schneck captured Pennsylvania’s rich menagerie of birds, wildlife, fish and critters of all kinds — not with traps, hooks, bait or weapon — but with words.
Schneck wrote millions of them, churning out thousands of stories, columns and newsletters running the gamut of his wide-ranging interests and packed with his astute expertise over the course of a 26-year career at PennLive and The Patriot-News.
Schneck, 66, died Tuesday night after being hospitalized with a sudden ailment. He is survived by his wife of 38 years, Jill Caravan, and a son, Casey Caravan Schneck of Hamburg. Services will be planned at a later date. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to Hawk Mountain Sanctuary, Kempton, or a conservation organization of one’s choice.
“He found a home in the position he loved,” wife Jill said of her husband’s decades of outdoors coverage for PennLive and The Patriot-News. “He knew just about everything there was to know about wildlife and the outdoors, especially in Pennsylvania, and was always willing to share his knowledge in formal programs or just in conversation.”
One of those he shared his passion with is son Casey, now a staffer with the Keystone Trails Association.
“I didn’t get to grow up quite as wild as he did, but he was my outdoor mentor for sure,” Casey said. “I used to go along with some of his sportsmen stories as a kid.”
Added Jill: “He was just wonderful. He added a lot of energy to our lives.”
Schneck, whose articles appeared frequently in The Era through Tribune News Service, went far beyond the usual hunting and fishing coverage to pen poignant columns on the exquisite beauty of bird-watching, the well-earned rewards of gardening, the leg-burning satisfaction of hiking, and almost anything in between.
Schneck, a 1978 Shippensburg University grad, never stopped exploring and bringing those outdoor adventures to his readers.
“Marcus was a champion of all things outdoors, from hunting to bird-watching to gardening,” PennLive’s Vice President of Content Burke Noel said.
Added Travis Lau, spokesman for the Pennsylvania Game Commission: “Marcus was a respected writer and a trustworthy counterpart for his sources. We at the Game Commission could always count on him to get things right. And many of us here worked closely with him over the years because he worked so hard and stayed so busy. … He will be deeply missed by all of those he impacted.”
In addition to his nearly 27 years at PennLive and The Patriot-News, Schneck was the author of two-dozen outdoors books, including ‘Backroads of Pa.’, ‘Country Towns of Pa.’, ‘Attracting Wildlife to Your Yard’, ‘The Birdfeeder Guide’, and ‘Creating a Butterfly Garden.’
He was a member of the Pennsylvania Outdoor Writers Association and the Outdoor Writers Association of America, and was appointed by the governor to the first state Governor’s Advisory Council for Hunting, Fishing, and Conservation.
