Jerome M. Schnitt – June 9, 2020
Jerome M. Schnitt, MD (“Jerry”), 73, of Guilford, CT passed away peacefully on Tuesday morning, June 9, 2020 after a decade-long battle with cancer. He was surrounded by his family until his last moments.
Born in Huntington, West Virginia on Groundhog’s Day, February 2, 1947 – he was a baby boomer to his parents Sidney and Dorothy, and middle child to his sisters Ronni and Lainie. An academic by nature, Jerry graduated from Yale University (Trumbull College) in 1969 before attending Medical School at West Virginia University.He subsequently completed his psychiatric residency at UConn Health Center in 1976 as Chief Resident. During his career, Jerry served as Medical Director of the addiction outpatient services at the West Haven VA Hospital for 11 years, spent 33 years teaching and supervising at the Yale Medical School, and was the Medical Director at the Stonington Institute for 7 years.Jerry was the President of the CT Psychiatric Society in 1996-97 and was a founding member of both the International Traumatic Stress Society and the American Academy of Addiction Psychiatrists. Jerry also maintained a private practice throughout his entire career from which he retired in 2015.In 1970, he met his future wife Diana on a ferry from Copenhagen to Malmö. They married in 1972 and eventually settled in Guilford where they raised two children, Rebecca and Michael.
Whenever he was not working, Jerry was spending time with his family, cooking, gardening, or getting out on the water on his sailboat, After Hours.Jerry is survived by his wife of nearly 50 years, Diana; daughter, Rebecca; and son, Michael; as well as his two sisters, Ronni and Lainie; and niece Liza. His life will be celebrated and remembered in a private ceremony later this year. In lieu flowers, please contribute to a charity of your choice.
Steve Bemis remembers Jerry:Jerry and I were sophomore roommates in Trumbull and we kept in touch over the years. His determination to become a doctor was memorable. His compassion and effectiveness, and his early foresight and initiatives in addiction and PTSD veterans‘ counseling, were renowned. His courage and strength in battling cancer for ten years were simply breathtaking. He prevailed through one cancer-related medical crisis after another, yet joined us to celebrate our 50th in 2019. Visibly exhausted by his effort, he nevertheless promised to our dinner table, “See you for next year’s reunion.”
He dropped me a brief email on June 7, 2020 that he was entering hospice. He died two days later on June 9, thereby fulfilling his promise to make the 51st [anniversary of our graduation].
Terry Light added:
Jerry was a kind individual who was a good listener, patient and kind with a wry sense of humor. He turned me on to Bob Dylan, an affliction that I have never shaken.
I commend Jerry’s 50th Reunion Essay to you. He delves into a few more dimensions of his views and his acceptance of the disease that ate away and not only his life, but that of his lovely Diana, who died herself, just 16 days after Jerry, also to a multi-decade long battle with renal cancer.