Ronald R. Schmidt

Ron Schmidt had a heart bigger than life; after a short struggle with heart failure, it just couldn’t keep up. He left us on Tuesday, March 6th, 2018, with his wife by his side. Ron was born on May 16, 1945 in Battle Creek, Michigan to Dr. Robert and Helen Schmidt while his father was deployed in France. When his father got back from the war, they drove to Colorado and made Fort Collins their home in November 1946. The Schmidt family lived on Pearl Street, a block from City Park, where many happy memories were made with his siblings and friends. Voted Lambkin King his senior year, Ron graduated from Fort Collins High School in 1963 where he played football, wrestled and track. He went to Colorado State University, was a member of Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity, and graduated in 1968 with a B.S. in physical science. In college, he met the love of his life, Kathy, on the steps of Parmelee Hall in 1965. On August 19th, 1967, Ron and Kathy were married in Santa Cruz, California. They lived in Aggie Village for a year while Ron completed his degree. After graduation, he joined the US Army Reserves, where he served for six years as a sergeant. In 1969, Ron began working at Markley Motors as a salesman until 1973, when he became an agent for Farmers Insurance Group until he retired 44 years later on October 31, 2017. He and Kathy had three sons: Tommy, Billy and Geoffrey. His family was the joy of his life. He took great pride in his children and all of their successes. As his family grew, so did the memories. Some of their favorites were CSU football games and tailgating, of which they only missed one game from the time Hughes opened until it closed. They spent many summers camping at Lake McConaughy and Glendo and in the mountains. Ron was an entertainer. Many spirits were poured behind his beautiful bar his sons made for him. You never went hungry or thirsty around Ron. Nobody could say no to Ronnie. He is survived by his wife of 50 years, Kathy, his three sons Tommy, Billy, and Geoffrey. His three daughter-in-laws Mandie, Nicole, and Tamara and his eight grandchildren TJ, Bailey, Hayden, Brooke, Emma, Zach, Beau and Lilly; sister Anita (John) of Boise City, Oklahoma, and brother Skip (Marilee) of Memphis, Tennessee. He was preceded in death by his parents, Robert and Helen Schmidt. A celebration of his life will be held at Bohlender Funeral Chapel, Wednesday, March 14th at 1:00. In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to The American Cancer Society, or The American Heart Association. As Ronnie would say, “I love you man,” and pass it on.

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Ronald R. Schmidt

May 16, 1945 - March 6, 2018