"Ann for 26 years you were not just a customer but a truly great friend. I am really going to miss our conversations and the sound of your voice. I'll miss your smile and the fact that I never saw a frown on your face. It was a joy and a Blessing to know you. May you Rest In Sweet Peace my friend. Tony Thompson"
In loving memory of
Ann Mollie Schachtel
November 23, 1945 - May 16, 2020
Ann "Andy" Mollie Schachtel
This world lost an outsized personality this past Saturday. Those who best knew Andy referred to her as "a Pistol" and "Unforgettable". She swore like a sailor and lit up a room with her infectious laugh. She came from a long line of great joke tellers.
All of the Schachtels would gleefully share their old jokes resulting in tears of laughter. Andy had an amazing number of equally amazing friends whom she loved and they loved her back. All more than you could ever imagine. That may be her greatest legacy: those people whose lives she touched and whose lives touched hers.
In her prime she was a television producer at KUHT-TV Channel 8 and a pioneer of sports on PBS. Her nationally broadcast, award winning magazine show, "Sport Unlimited", which she produced alongside with her cameraman/editor and future husband, was a passion in her life.
She was also a devoted advocate for Women's Rights which led to her producing award-winning television programs championing the pioneers of the Equal Rights movement in the 1970's.
She was a fighter beyond compare having been diagnosed almost 20 years earlier with Stage IV lung cancer. Her oncologist proudly called her "his miracle". For two decades she went through numerous procedures and suffered the indignities and insults of cancer treatment with amazing grace and strength. But in the end, she had seen enough to know when she had seen enough.
Andy had a favorite sportswriter who, when writing of the Championship years of the Houston Rockets and Hakeem (her favorite athlete), wrote a phrase that delighted her. To personalize it, the line speaks volumes for how we all feel about her now: "Thanks for the ride... Andy!"
She is preceded in death by her beloved parents Barbara Schachtel and Rabbi Hyman Judah Schachtel.
She is survived by Paul Wobbe, her husband of 33 years, and her brother Bard Schachtel and sister-in-law Dinah Schachtel. She is also survived by her many, many friends.
In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to your local Planned Parenthood, Food Bank or Animal Shelter. A Houston Food Bank memorial page has been established in her memory: https://app.mobilecause.com/vf/InMemory
Lastly, she has for decades loved Winnie-the-Pooh and if she could read to all of you now she might read the following: From Christopher Robin to all his friends in the 100 Acre Woods, "If ever there is a tomorrow when we're not together... there is something you must always remember. You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think. But the most important thing is, even if we're apart... I'll always be with you."
Tributes
"I am so sad to hear of my first puppy lives passing. Andi and I were an item at McGregor elementary school in the early 50s. We even traded silver disk with our names on them . I think the last time se talked was at her moms funeral. Rest in peace sweet lady."
"Oh, how we will miss you. So much love for you, so much grief for us. Give my love to my dad, and of course, to all the others. Love, Your cousin and Tot"