Richard “Rich” Schindler spent much of his life bringing people together — around a softball field, a synagogue event, a holiday table or simply a conversation with a stranger.

When family and friends gathered after his death, stories came not only from relatives and synagogue friends, but from former players, customers and people who had crossed paths with him only briefly. Again and again, they described someone who made them feel welcome and remembered.

“I’ve had people come up to me throughout shiva and say they only had one interaction or two interactions with him, and they could describe it in depth,” said his son, Nate Schindler.

Whether he was waiting to board a plane, attending a show in Philadelphia or dining at a restaurant, Schindler rarely missed an opportunity to strike up a conversation. His son said he loved getting to know people and often left those encounters knowing about their families, interests and lives.

Rich Schindler, a home remodeling entrepreneur, synagogue volunteer, youth sports coach and active participant in Jewish communal life, died on April 29 from complications related to treatment for HPV-related tonsil cancer. He was 58.

For many years, Schindler was a familiar presence at Beth Tikvah B’nai Jeshurun, where he devoted much of his volunteer energy to the congregation’s men’s club.

“He put his heart and soul into that club,” said his wife, Jennifer Schindler.

His involvement began with projects that drew on his professional expertise. As the co-owner of a home remodeling company, he helped coordinate repairs and improvements around the synagogue. Eventually, he became one of the men’s club’s most active members.

He started the group’s annual poker tournament and later expanded it to two events each year. He helped organize programs, grilled at dinners, tended bar at events and worked behind the scenes on countless activities.

“He was so present in almost every event they ran,” Nate Schindler said.

According to his son, Schindler also helped connect the mn’s club with Northern Children’s Services, creating opportunities for congregants to work with underserved youth in Philadelphia.

Family came first for Schindler, and many of his community commitments grew out of time spent with the people he loved. When his daughter, Becca, began playing softball, Schindler initially rearranged his work schedule so he could attend games. Eventually, he stopped working Saturdays during the season so he could coach.

“What began as wanting to see his daughter play turned into wanting to teach the girls,” Jennifer Schindler said.

Over the years, he became deeply involved with Whitemarsh Girls Softball. He coached teams, served as league treasurer, built batting cages, developed new fields and helped fund storage sheds through sponsorships he secured.

He also coached his son’s soccer teams and remained in touch with many young people long after their playing days ended. Former players attended his funeral and shiva, family members said, some recalling lessons they had learned from him years earlier.

Schindler also volunteered with the Jewish Relief Agency, helping deliver food and supplies to those in need throughout the Delaware Valley.

Raised in a Jewish home in Broomall, Schindler was the youngest of four children, growing up with brothers Alan and Elliott and sister Annie. His father, Stanley Schindler, owned a men’s haberdashery and served in the Air Force during the Korean War. His mother, Dorothy, regularly hosted large family celebrations, creating traditions their youngest son later continued in his own home.

Rich attended religious school and celebrated his bar mitzvah at Beth El Synagogue, now Beth El-Ner Tamid. He participated in AZA and BBYO as a teenager.

He graduated from Marple Newtown High School and attended the University of Maryland, where he studied journalism.

It was there that he met Jennifer, then a freshman and he a senior.

“We laughed from the moment we met,” she said.

The couple, who were married for 29 years, settled in Lafayette Hill, where they raised their two children and became active in synagogue and community life.

Schindler attended synagogue services on Saturday over the years and minyan on weekdays. In 2014, he traveled to Israel with his family. At home, he led the Passover Seder and hosted holiday gatherings that brought together relatives from across the family.

“He loved the communal aspect of Judaism and being able to be with people,” Nate Schindler said.

After college, Schindler co-founded American Home Concepts, a home remodeling company he helped build over more than three decades.

“He worked 70- to 80-hour work weeks at the start, knocking on doors,” Nate Schindler said.

Over time, the company grew through referrals and repeat customers. Jennifer Schindler said her husband excelled at making clients comfortable and listening carefully to what they wanted.

“It was all about his relationship-building with people,” she said.

He loved tennis, gardening and landscaping. Relatives frequently sought his advice about investing, homeownership, construction projects and finances. He enjoyed helping younger family members, including nieces and nephews, think through decisions and solve problems.

Later in life, Schindler took up guitar. He spent years taking lessons, practicing, singing and learning music theory. Before long, music became something he shared with his children as they played together.

During cancer treatment, music remained one of the few things that allowed him to forget what he was enduring.

“He could pick up a guitar and sing, and then he would forget everything,” Nate Schindler said.

In February, Schindler was diagnosed with HPV-related tonsil cancer. Doctors were optimistic about his prognosis, and he completed 35 radiation treatments and five chemotherapy sessions. Days after ringing the bell marking the end of treatment, he suffered a pulmonary embolism and died unexpectedly.

Although he received recognition for his volunteer work, including a Man of the Year award from the Beth Tikvah B’nai Jeshurun Men’s Club, family members said he was never comfortable being the center of attention.

They said he was more interested in making things better than receiving credit for doing so.

“He saw something that people loved and people were passionate about and saw an opportunity to improve it,” Nate Schindler said.

Ellen Braunstein is a freelance obituary writer. She welcomes suggestions for individuals who had meaningful ties to the Philadelphia Jewish community. Email csix@midatlanticmedia.com.