Schoenfeld

C. Deem Schoenfeld, 96, died on May 19, 2024, at the Porter Medical Center in Middlebury, Vt. He was born on April 12, 1928, in Bruin, and was the son of William Wayne and Mildred (Deem) Schoenfeld. After his early years in Bruin, the family moved to Butler.

His sense of adventure emerged at an early age, including an impromptu hitchhiking trip to California at age 17. Deem was a captain of the Butler High School football team, and he also lettered in golf. He spent early years working jobs including washing dishes at Chautauqua Institution in New York and working at the Armco Steel Plant in Butler.

Deem enlisted in the Navy after high school graduation and became a hospital corpsman, stationed in St. Albans, N.Y., and Oakland, Calif. He graduated from Allegheny College in 1952, where he was a four-year letterman in football. During college, he married J. Carol “Toots” Robb, whom he had met years earlier, when — having seen her softball throwing skills — he decided that she was the girl for him.

Deem graduated from medical school at the University of Pennsylvania, and after his internship at Geisinger Hospital in Danville, Pa., he spent five years in general practice in Butler. Deciding he wanted more time with his growing family, Deem moved the family to Jericho, Vt., where he spent three years in radiology residency at the University of Vermont, before settling in Rutland. He spent 25 years at the Rutland Hospital, including several years as head of the radiology department. Deem and Carol moved from Rutland to Middlebury in 1990, where Deem retired in 1994.

Deem and Carol have five children, and they spent years attending their countless sports games and concerts. They passed on to their children a love of travel, sports, music and the arts, adventure, learning, great meals and engaged conversation. They loved traveling, taking many trips across the United States and to Europe, Canada and Mexico. They were devoted to their many grandchildren and great grandchildren, traveling often to visit them, and welcoming everyone home for beloved holiday gatherings. His immediate family includes 37 — each of whom he delighted in gifting a book of their choice each Christmas, ardently supporting Middlebury's independent bookstore.

His love of sports included years of skiing, hiking, cycling, running, tennis and most importantly, golf, especially in his 32 years of retirement, where he was a longtime ringleader of weekly matches at the Ralph Myhre course in Middlebury, and courses around Vermont and New York. He helped organize group golfing trips to Scotland and Ireland. He shot his most recent hole-in-one in his 90s and regularly shot his age. His competitive fervor extended to duplicate bridge, which — along with golf — he played with dedication and focus until his death.

He is survived by his sister-in-law, Mary Ann Monfre of Butler; children, Michael Schoenfeld (Jane Schoenfeld) of Middlebury, Vt., Susan Schoenfeld (Larry Kupferman) of South Burlington, Vt., Robin Schoenfeld-Fox (Mark Fox) of Rutland, Vt., John Schoenfeld (Laura Schoenfeld) of South Burlington, Vt., and Mary Margaret Schoenfeld (David Low) of Arlington, Va.; 10 grandchildren; and 11 great-grandchildren. He is also survived by dear friend, Pat McCafferty of Butler, and many nieces and nephews in the Butler area, including Mark Schoenfeld, Judy Baudoux, David Schoenfeld, Beth Whisler, Gina Stutz, Tony Monfre, Frank Robb Jr., Arthur Robb, Lynda Weitzel and Ken Robb.

He was predeceased by his wife.

SCHOENFELD — A memorial service for C. Deem Schoenfeld, who died Sunday, May 19, 2024, will be held at a later time, and the family requests no flowers.

If you want to honor Deem, go buy a book from an independent bookstore!

To send condolences, visit https://www.sandersonfuneralservice.com.

Please sign the guest book at www.butlereagle.com.