Joseph R. Schmidt

Joseph Richard Schmidt was born on August 7th, 1956 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Soon after, he was brought home to Toledo by his loving parents Rose and Clarence Schmidt. He was the light of his parent's life and was showered with their love.

As a child, he often visited the beaches of Lake Erie with his parents and always loved the water. They taught him the sport of bowling as soon as he could hold the ball. Many great memories were made on the bowling lanes of Toledo, especially if Joe was on your team. Joe bowled in the 1983 Pro-Am in Toledo and carried a respectable average during league play.

He attended Regina Coeli Catholic Church and was a 1974 graduate of Start High School.

In 1980, he married Sharon Lee Neuser. In 1982 they welcomed the birth of their son Brent, and three years later they celebrated the birth of their second son, Justin.

Joe worked in the metal recycling business for many years but found his true career calling when he started installing fireplaces. Joe moved to Traverse City, Michigan in 2003 and took a job as a fireplace installer. Over the next twenty years Joe installed hundreds if not thousands of fireplaces, stoves, chimneys, and gas lines in homes and buildings all over northern Michigan. Many contractors knew him as the "the stove guy" and he earned great respect from his peers because of his hard work ethic, professionalism, and ability to make the impossible fireplace installation possible.

He was very gifted with his hands and could build or fix anything. A skill he passed on to many people through his mentorship and example. His advice on projects will be greatly missed by his son Brent who was inspired by his dad's handiness his whole life. Joe and his son Brent fixed and painted many houses together here in Toledo and in Northern Michigan. They were quite the team.

The best part of Joe's life started on August 30th, 2003, when he met his first grandchild, Zachary Michael. After that Joseph was blessed with 4 more grandchildren, Olivia, Nora, Charles and Joseph. His grandchildren adored him and he adored them. They will always remember his visits and how much fun and love you can squeeze into a long weekend. The pride Joe had in his grandkids was immense and he loved being a Grandpa.

Joe loved baseball. A lifelong Tiger's fan, he often recited the lineups of the 1968 and 1984 Detroit tigers. On a trip to Tiger Stadium with his dad, Joe caught a foul ball off the bat of Willie Horton and promptly went home and played with the ball. But more importantly to Joe, it was little league baseball where he found his favorite spot in the game. He was a coach while his sons played at Blessed Sacrament School and always felt blessed to teach the game of baseball.

And Joe loved hockey. He was a Detroit Red Wings and Toledo Storm fan. Joe rushed the ice along with hundreds of other Toledoans the night the Storm won their first championship. He even managed to shoot two rolls of film during the on-ice celebration.

Joe was always interested in photography. He took many fine photos and in the mid-eighties opened his own photography business "Love in Pictures".

Joe also loved music. He was a student of music from an early age and quickly become an accomplished accordion player. He eventually discovered guitars were much louder and a lifelong hobby was born. Joe had a lot of guitars. He passed the love of music to his sons and taught his son Brent to play the guitar and showed Justin how to play the keyboard. Just recently he purchased an acoustic guitar for his grandchildren to learn on. He loved to listen to vinyl and the radio. Joe was a master of rock trivia and often won on local radio stations. He definitely appreciated a live show. Over his lifetime, Joe saw hundreds of acts live. From the Animals to ZZ Top, Joe was there. And whether it was a record or his guitar. Joe always played it loud.

For many years, Joe was avid boater and fishermen. He loved to take his family on the water. His kids will never forget the boat rides on the Thunder Road or the Thunder Road II. On Lake Erie he took his family walleye or yellow perch fishing and afterwards he could usually be talked into a leisurely ride down the Maumee River. The wonderful days under the sun together on Lake Erie will never be forgotten. In recent years he fished many of the beautiful Northern Michigan inland lakes in his small fishing boat.

In 2022, his son Justin arranged a trip for the "guys" to visit Los Angeles. Zachary, Justin, Brent and Joe had the time of their lives in the California sun. They climbed mountains and explored beaches. They viewed spectacular architecture and visited museums, but most importantly they enjoyed every second of being together.

We will all immensely miss him and always remember the love we had for each other. We'll never forget the things he taught us. His family loved him more than words can describe. We love you Dad.

He is survived by Sharon Schmidt; sons, Brent (Michelle), and Justin Schmidt; and his 5 grandchildren, Zachary, Olivia, Nora, Charles, and Joseph.
He was preceded in death by his parents Rose and Clarence Schmidt; and best friend, Chris Poulos.

The family will receive guests on Thursday, August 17, 2023 from 4:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. at Newcomer Funeral Home – Northwest Chapel, 4150 W. Laskey Rd., Toledo (419-473-0300) with a Rosary being recited at 7:00 p.m. in the funeral home. Funeral Mass will begin Friday, August 18, 2023 at 10:00 a.m. at GESU Catholic Church, 2049 Parkside Blvd., Toledo, OH 43607. Inurnment will be Private at a later date at Calvary Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers please consider a memorial donation to the American Cancer Society or the Alzheimer's Association.

Our family would like to thank everyone for their love and support during this difficult time.

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