Lonni Schicker, a former nurse, advocate with the Alzheimer鈥檚 Association and the subject of a , died Friday, Nov. 11, after a series of health complications. She was 68.
Schicker, born Sept. 29, 1954, in St. 不良研究所导航网址 to Norman and Dorothy Schicker, made it her mission to educate others about dementia and Alzheimer鈥檚 after memory problems forced her to retire early as a professor at the age of 59 and return to the St. 不良研究所导航网址 area to live with her son.
She volunteered as an educator and board member with the Alzheimer鈥檚 Association Greater Missouri Chapter, spending countless hours helping with projects and making calls. As an educator, she talked about dementia symptoms, shared her own journey to diagnosis and provided tips to caregivers.
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Schicker made multiple trips to Jefferson City and Washington, D.C., to meet with elected officials and ask them to support legislation that supported patients and family members living with dementia.
Sarah Lovegreen, vice president of programs for the , called Schicker, a fierce and tireless advocate.
鈥淟onni openly shared her story and experiences in the hope that by doing so, others would reach out for help,鈥 Lovegreen said. 鈥淪he was a warrior with a heart of gold.鈥
, Lonni Schicker and her son, Dan Schicker, shared about her frustrating search for a diagnosis and the unique financial and emotional challenges when symptoms strike at a younger age.
Her son said whether it was caring for him as a single mother, helping her students as a professor or educating others while dealing with own medical issues 鈥 his mom was a fighter.
鈥淣o matter how bad things were for her, she was concerned with being advocate for other people,鈥 said Dan Schicker, 36, of St. Peters.
After graduating from Fox High School in Arnold, Lonni Schicker worked as a nurse鈥檚 aide before completing a two-year nursing diploma program at Missouri Baptist University in 1983.
While working as a nurse and administrator, she earned a bachelor鈥檚 degree in 2000 and master鈥檚 degree in health care management in 2004 from the University of St. Francis in Joliet. In the spring of 2011, she received her doctorate in education from Lindenwood University. She became a professor at Minnesota State University that fall.
Since the stories in the Post-Dispatch, she continued to volunteer with the Alzheimer鈥檚 Association while her dementia was held in check, Dan Schicker said. She started co-authoring a book that provided practical tips for dementia patients.
鈥淟onni Schicker was a force to be reckoned with,鈥 Lovegreen said. 鈥淪he was passionate, determined and fought through any challenge thrown her way.鈥
A year and a half ago, Dan Schicker said, his mom was diagnosed with leukemia. While seeking treatment options, she was in and out of the hospital with health complications, which included a bacterial infection in her heart that eventually spread to her spleen.
She went at the end of August.
She is survived by her son; a sister, Mary Allen, of Las Vegas; and two brothers, Michael Schicker, of St. 不良研究所导航网址, and Norman Schicker Jr.
Lonni Schicker donated her body to medical research, her son said. A ceremony celebrating her life is being planned.
鈥淪he was incredible. She was brilliant and selfless,鈥 Dan Schicker said, 鈥渁nd she always put everyone else above herself.鈥