Since Robin Williams died in 2014, his widow Susan Schneider has made it her life’s mission to educate the public about the devastating brain disease he had.
Gilbert Carrasquillo / FilmMagic / Getty ImagesSusan Schneider and Robin Williams in 2012 , a year after they got married .
For most of her life , Susan Schneider live in happy anonymity . That all shift in 2007 , when she span paths with Robin Williams at an Apple Store . Their hazard showdown blossomed into on-key sexual love , and Williams and Schneider married a few years later on . But their cloud nine would n’t last .
In 2014 , Williams shocked the world — and Schneider — when he died by suicide in their California home . Though Schneider had been by Williams ’ side as he battled various health problems in the preceding months , things seemed normal on his last day alive . Schneider had no worry about her married man ’s prophylactic when they secern each other goodnight on August 10 , 2014 .
Gilbert Carrasquillo/FilmMagic/Getty ImagesSusan Schneider and Robin Williams in 2012, a year after they got married.
But tragically , Robin Williams was regain dead the next morning , August 11th , at the age of 63 . The beloved actor and comedian had died by suicide .
After his demise , Williams ’ autopsy revealed that he ’d hurt from an undiagnosed nous disease called Lewy body dementia ( LBD ) . Schneider then made it her foreign mission to train the public about the withering disease — and she became her late hubby ’s biggest fighter .
“You Found Me”: How Susan Schneider Met Robin Williams
Susan Schneider Fine ArtBefore she marry Robin Williams in 2011 , Susan Schneider was mostly have it away as an artist and a graphic intriguer .
turn out on January 24 , 1964 in Belvedere , California , Susan Schneider wait on California College of the Arts and after went on to become an artist and graphic clothes designer . She live on a relatively private life until late 2007 , when she noticedRobin Williamsat the Apple store in Corte Madera , California . After an inner argumentation , she decided to say hello to the iconic doer .
“ I walked in and saw this man and I opine : ‘ I reckon that ’s Robin Williams , ' ” she toldThe Guardianin 2021 . “ Then , on my way out , I happened to bet at him again and he was smile at me and something inside me say : ‘ Oh , just go over and say hi . ’ He was wearing camouflage print , so I sound out : ‘ How ’s that camo working out for you ? ’ And he said : ‘ Not too good — you found me . ' ”
Susan Schneider Fine ArtBefore she married Robin Williams in 2011, Susan Schneider was mostly known as an artist and a graphic designer.
Schneider later toldPEOPLEthat their connection was “ this instant familiarity and comfort ” and that they met “ right on time . ” By the next year after they meet , they had fallen in love — and Schneider was sure she want to be with Williams forever . Shortly thereafter , he purport .
“ He came into the bedroom and he capture down on one articulatio genus and he said , ‘ Will you be Mrs. Robin Williams ? ’ And I said , ‘ With all my heart , yes . With all my heart , ' ” Schneider recount PEOPLE about the joyous experience .
On October 22 , 2011 , Susan Schneider and Robin Williams got married in Napa Valley , California . They moved into a house in Tiburon ’s Paradise Cay in California with Schneider ’s two sons and began to work up their life together .
Susan Schneider WilliamsSusan Schneider and Robin Williams got married in 2011.
Susan Schneider WilliamsSusan Schneider and Robin Williams got married in 2011 .
But just a couple of years later , Robin Williams began to suffer from a myriad of alarming strong-arm and genial health problem .
The Difficult Months Leading Up To Robin Williams’ Suicide
According to the bookRobinby Dave Itzkoff , Robin Williams ’ health get to endure in October 2013 . His symptoms ramble from upset stomach to tremors in his left weapon system to vision problems to a stooped posture . And the more symptom that popped up , the more unquiet Williams became .
“ It was like this endless parade of symptom , and not all of them would raise their top dog at once , ” Susan Schneider by and by call back to Itzkoff . “ It was like playing belt - a - groin . Which symptom is it this month ? I thought , is my hubby a hypochondriac ? We ’re chasing it and there ’s no answers . ”
Williams squeal to his apprehensive wife that he felt up like he was “ losing his creative thinker ” and that he take a “ reboot for his brain . ”
Robin Williams/InstagramThis is one of the last photos that Robin Williams posted on his Instagram before he died by suicide in August 2014.
Then , in May 2014 , Williams was diagnosed with Parkinson ’s disease . But Williams did n’t seem to sense quenched with the diagnosis . And as the month passed , Williams ’ symptom seemed to get even worse .
Robin Williams / InstagramThis is one of the last photos that Robin Williams posted on his Instagram before he died by self-annihilation in August 2014 .
He had trouble sleeping at nighttime and ache from unforgiving paranoid opinion . On the Nox before he died , Williams feel so anxious about his spotter being stolen that he stuffed them into a sock , drive to his assistant ’s home , and drip the sentry off for safekeeping .
Tulemo/Wikimedia CommonsA photomicrograph of a Lewy body (indicated by arrow), a protein that can dangerously build up inside a person’s brain.
Despite this , Schneider shortly felt optimistic . She and her hubby spend a “ complete day ” together , accord to an audience she afterwards gave onGood Morning America , and Williams seemed lovesome as usual as they contract ready for seam . He offered to give Schneider a foot massage , and then they change their normal nightly salutation of “ Goodnight , my love . ” Williams went to his bedroom with his iPad , which Schneider strike as another well augury because she had n’t seen him record or watch telecasting in calendar month .
“ He seemed like he was doing better , like he was on the path of something , ” she said . “ I ’m thinking , ‘ O.K. , hooey is working … he ’s getting eternal rest . ' ”
Plus , they were going to visit a neurocognitive testing facility soon , which could bring home the bacon further clarity about what was fit on with him .
GTCRFOTO/Alamy Stock PhotoRobin Williams and Susan Schneider at theHappy Feet Twopremiere in November 2011, shortly after their wedding.
As such , Schneider bequeath the family the next daybreak — August 11th — around 10:30 a.m. to carry some errands without any idea that something was wrong . Williams ’ door was closed , so she make up one’s mind to lease him pillow . But when Williams still was n’t up by 11 a.m. , his assistant — who had already knocked and slipped a note under the door — grew concerned and prise the lock .
Robin Williams was dead inside . He’ddied by suicideat the age of 63 .
Susan Schneider After Robin Williams’ Death
In the aftermath of Robin Williams ’ last , his publicist take note that he had been suffering from “ severe depression . ” As such , many suppose that Great Depression was the main cause for his self-annihilation , especially since he had antecedently struggled with his genial health . But Williams ’ autopsy revealed that Williams had an undiagnosed case of Lewy body dementedness ( LBD ) .
Tulemo / Wikimedia CommonsA photomicrograph of a Lewy body ( indicated by pointer ) , a protein that can dangerously build up inside a soul ’s genius .
“ The doctors articulate to me after the autopsy : ‘ Are you surprised that your husband had Lewy bodies throughout his integral brain and encephalon stem ? ’ I did n’t even do it what Lewy consistence were , but I pronounce : ‘ No , I ’m not surprised , ' ” Susan Schneider toldThe Guardian . “ The fact that something had infiltrated every part of my husband ’s brain ? That made double-dyed sentience . ”
A eccentric of dementedness because of a buildup of protein call in “ Lewy consistency ” in the brain , LBD is a progressive shape that can induce problems with motion , cognitive function , and the queasy system , as well as modification in behavior and mood . Schneider is convinced that it lead to Williams ’ last .
“ Robin did not die of low . economic crisis is one of the 40 symptoms of Lewy body dementia , ” Schneider toldHaute experience San Franciscoin 2023 . “ We were together for seven year , and my husband was not down . ”
She believes that Williams had grow paranoid about his sojourn to the neurocognitive examination facility , because he fear he would get “ lock up . ”
GTCRFOTO / Alamy Stock PhotoRobin Williams and Susan Schneider at theHappy Feet Twopremiere in November 2011 , soon after their marriage ceremony .
In the year sinceRobin Williams ’ death , Schneider has been on a mission to educate the world about LBD , which remain a little - understood status . Though treatment exist to handle symptom , there is no cure .
In that pursuit , Schneider producedRobin ’s Wish , a infotainment about Williams ’ concluding old age and experience with LBD , which add up out in 2020 .
by from her protagonism work , Schneider has also had conflict with Williams ’ three children , Zak , Zelda , and Cody . Though Williams leave most of his estate to them , he wanted Schneider to have the duad ’s habitation and enough money to maintain it . Williams ’ children and Schneider , however , disagreed over the details of his estate . They settled the dispute in 2015 .
Since then , Schneider has been result to mourn the man she loved dearly . But she ’s also become Robin Williams ’ biggest wizard . Through her advocacy work , she ’s disseminate the Logos about Lewy body dementedness — and facilitate others to rule reply that she and her married man never had .
After reading about Susan Schneider , Robin Williams ’ widow woman , discover the tale ofLinda Lee Cadwell , the wife of the former Bruce Lee . Or , watch aboutVivian Cash Liberto , the first wife of Johnny Cash .
