Obituary of George L. Schmidt
George L. Schmidt, age 91, passed away peacefully at home on Thursday, July 8, 2021, in Crest Hill, IL.
George was born December 10, 1929, the son of the late Louis and Mary Schmidt.
George was a lifelong resident of the Joliet area; he attended St. John’s Grade School and graduated from Joliet Catholic High School (Class of 1948).
He married Olga Czerkies on June 10, 1951. Together, George and Olga owned and operated G.L. Schmidt Construction Co. and Lorenzo Sport & Bait in Wilmington, IL.
George and Olga shared a passion for fishing and the outdoors. They spent their honeymoon fishing in Wisconsin and their lives traveling from Florida to Alaska, Mexico, and Canada, casting where they could. The family has many memories of times spent waterskiing and fishing together at Goose Lake. In later years, they would travel to visit their children and grandchildren.
George is survived by his loving children, Debby Wise of Washington, Cindy (Greg) Peden of Indiana, Bob Schmidt of Illinois, and Mark (Lisa Shellenberger) Schmidt of California; adoring grandchildren, Keith Peden, Melissa (Andrew) Henckel, Kim (Felix) Danciu, Kristin Schmidt, Matthew Schmidt, Michael Schmidt, and Nicholas Schmidt; great-grandchildren, Julian, Alex, Reven, Taryn, Inara, and Bella; and his dear sister-in-law, Jenny Koerner. Many nieces, nephews, and friends also survive.
He was preceded in death by his beloved wife of almost 70 years, Olga Schmidt; his parents; and, son-in-law, Denny Wise.
A Memorial Mass of Christian Burial for George Schmidt will be held on Saturday, October 9, 2021, at 10:00 a.m. at the Cathedral of St. Raymond Nonnatus, 604 N. Raynor Ave., Joliet, IL 60435.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Alzheimer’s Association (https://act.alz.org/donate), St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital (https://www.stjude.org), or plant a tree in his honor.
Funeral arrangements are under the direction of the Fred C. Dames Funeral Home. For more information, please call (815) 741-5500 or you may visit his Memorial Tribute at www.fredcdames.com where you can share a favorite memory or leave an online condolence.
