Aug 16, 2022

Myriam Barker Schneider, gift industry professional, passes away

Myriam Barker Schneider, a well-known gift industry professional and a resident New York City passed away peacefully in her home, Monday, Aug. 1, 2022. She was a young 69 years old. Growing up, Myriam had the opportunity to live around the globe. Born in Los Angeles, California, as a child, she lived in Nicaragua and as a teenager, she lived in Costa Rica.

From 1965-1967 she lived with an aunt in Fuenterrabia, Spain. She spoke fondly of her time spent living with her cousins knowing she had homes all over the world. She developed a great passion for travel and an even greater talent for making friends for life wherever she went. As a result of her international schooling, travel and wanderlust, she spoke fluently to perfection in English, Spanish, Italian and Portuguese.

During her adult life she spent periods of time in Italy, Los Angeles and Chicago before settling in New York City, where she spent the good part of 35 years. While most of her birth family lives in Los Angeles and Florida, Schneider found a devoted and loving family of friends in Manhattan.

She was a generous hostess, sharing her apartment with friends and relatives whenever they were in town. The highlight of the year for Schneider was hosting a Thanksgiving Day Parade Party every November for her family and friends of all ages, to watch the large parade floats pass by her apartment windows. It was a bonding experience for all her guests.

New York City is also where Schneider grew her gift business, Myriam Schneider & Co., and literally made a name for herself in the industry. She helped to establish the Canetti Design Group through the 1980’s and ’90’s, and later worked with Kikkerland as its New York Metro sales representative, serving customers including Barns & Noble, MoMA and more. For decades, Schneider represented a number of gift brands in her showroom in the industry’s ‘gift building’ at 230 Fifth Avenue, and since 1984, her bright smile greeted buyers at her NY NOW booth, and other regional shows nationwide. She loved the gift industry.

Schneider is survived by her father Federico Barker, her step-mother, Agnes Barker, three brothers Rex Barker, Nelson Barker, Michael Campabosso and two sisters, Gina Ford and Marisa Bautista. She is predeceased by her mother, Myriam Campabosso and husband of eight years, Alan Schneider. She has many nieces, nephews, cousins, grand-nieces and nephews, and a huge circle of friends who she called family, and who will miss her terribly.