James "Jim" Schnurr

James (Jim) Schnurr, loving father, husband, and friend to many, of Fairfield, CT, passed away peacefully and surrounded by his loving family on Saturday, September 7th. Jim was born and raised in Queens, NY, the son of Joseph and Irma Schnurr. He graduated St. Francis Preparatory School in Brooklyn, NY and earned an undergraduate degree at the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, MA in 1973. At Holy Cross, Jim was the Crusaders 14th 1,000-point scorer for the Men's Basketball team in only three seasons and left Holy Cross as their all-time leader in shooting field goal percentage. He married his high school sweetheart, Christine Reilly Schnurr, in 1973, and they moved to Paris, France where Jim finished his basketball career playing professionally for the Racing Club de France. He earned his Concentration in Accounting MBA at Rutgers University in 1976 and passed his CPA exam in his first sitting that same year. Jim worked his entire 38-year corporate career at Deloitte, starting for the firm as an intern in 1975, earning Partner in 1985, and retired as Deloitte's Vice Chairman and Senior Professional Practice Director in 2014. Jim then served as the Chief Accountant of the U.S Securities & Exchange Commission from October 2014 to June 2016 in Washington, D.C.
He is survived by his wife of 46 years, Christine; son Timothy and his wife, Jessica; son Brian and his wife, Kelly; and daughter, Kathryn. He leaves four grandchildren; Avery, Leila, Corey and Samuel. As the middle of four children, he also leaves his sister Barbara Aufenanger and her husband, Joe; brother John Schnurr and his wife, Beckee; brother Joey Schnurr and his wife, Joellyn: along with his 7 nieces and nephews.
Jim led a life of sincere and selfless contribution and service to those around him. Methodical, patient and soft spoken, his iconic mustached smile and 6'6" frame was leaned on regularly by those who depended on him for his sage advice, leadership, and unwavering support. His favorite times were spent with his family, friends and his professional peers. He loved travelling, playing golf, reading the newspaper, walking his dogs and making life-long memories. Ever humble, Jim will be missed more than he'll ever know.
The memorial service will be held at St. Anthony of Padua Church, 149 South Pine Creek, Fairfield, 06824 on Friday, September 20, 2019 at 11:00 AM. In lieu of flowers, donations in Jim's memory may be made to the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation so we can all help find a cure for spinal cord injury. For information or to sign an online register, please visit www.SpearFuneralHome.com