John Schnabel Passes Away at the Age of 96

John Schnabel was 96 years old and an iconic local miner, pioneer and TV star. He was part of the cast of Gold Rush Alaska on reality TV and served as mayor of Haines, Alaska for many years.

With a telephoto lens, he captured portraits of anonymous passengers sitting in planes. Framed around oval porthole windows, these images serve as reminders of the in-between time experienced while traveling by air.

Early Life and Education

Schabel was born in Chicago, Illinois and attended Washington University where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1968.

He then pursued medical school, completing both his internship and residency at the University of Rochester in New York.

He then joined MUSC’s Department of Radiology, where he has been a professor for over 40 years. Throughout this time, he has earned three Golden Apple Awards and remains an active member of MUSC’s teaching staff.

Professional Career

John Schabel is a radiologist with expertise in diagnostic imaging. He has been employed at the Medical University of South Carolina since 1976 and has earned himself an admirable reputation among his students as well.

Over his career, he has produced numerous articles and peer-reviewed studies in radiology. Additionally, he lectures regularly at the University of South Carolina, instructing medical students about radiological principles.

Regarding his personal life, he has a girlfriend named Ashley Youle. The two first met in Australia and began dating, however their relationship ultimately ended without success.

Achievements and Honors

As a teenager, Schnabel joined his father at a sawmill in Haines, Alaska. He went on to work as a bootlegger, World War II soldier and gold miner.

He was a well-known figure in the community and his passing is a great loss for Haines and its surrounding area. Surviving him are his wife Erma Dire of 57 years and five children; together they shared an illustrious life together.

The Discovery channel is honoring him with a small token and has also placed gold-colored rings around the Big Nugget to mark their many accomplishments. In addition to being one of Gold Rush’s stars, Schnabel was an advocate for Alaska’s timber industry whose business ventures spanned more than 25 years; his most noteworthy feat being building the state’s largest sawmill on Lutak Inlet.

Personal Life

John was an active member of his community until his later years. He enjoyed hosting Sunday breakfasts and playing bridge with friends. Additionally, John had a longstanding supporter of the Haines American Legion and enjoyed reading romance novels.

John’s father was a bootlegger and he grew up on a drought-stricken wheat farm in Kansas, selling papers to buy bread for his family. At 19 years old he moved to Alaska where he joined his dad running their sawmill business. John served in WWII and is proud member of the Haines American Legion.

Net Worth

John Schnabel was a miner who founded the Big Nugget Mine. Before his passing away in 2016, he left behind an enviable net worth of $5 million.

His son Parker Schnabel took over the family business at 16 years old when he began prospecting for gold in his grandfather’s place.

He has been mining for some time now and his hard work has paid off. At 24 years old, he has successfully mined an impressive $13 million worth of gold.

He has also appeared on the hit Discovery Channel reality series Gold Rush, which follows several families as they search for gold in Alaska. As a result, he earned an impressive $2 million salary from his appearances on the show.