Obituary of George J. Schmitt

George Joseph (“Sonny Boy”) Schmitt passed peacefully on April 16, 2020, midwifed into this world on the first day of summer, in 1928. The one and only child to Joseph and Caroline, he resided in Farmingdale New York, living with his parents, his Uncle Robert, and his Grandmother, “Bobbie”. There were a handful of fruit trees on the property, including a Baldwin apple tree, which might have been responsible for his love of apples. Throughout the span of his lifetime he easily consumed a ton of apples.

George worked for Dinder’s Florist for eight years, through high school, and through four years of working towards his undergraduate degree at Brooklyn Poly Technical Institute. At Dinder’s he developed a love of flowers, which followed him throughout his life. He proudly served in the Army during the Korean War, stationed at Fort McClellan, Fort Riley, and Camp Carson. He was promoted to Second Lieutenant February 6, 1952. He married the love of his life Christine (“Cabbage”) Schneider on February 10, 1952. They would be married for 63 years, until her passing in 2015. He remained stateside due to Christine’s life-threatening battle with tuberculosis. Christine convalesced at Fitzsimons Army Hospital in Colorado. George was stationed nearby. After her recuperation and his discharge they moved back east, first to Bound Brook NJ, and then to Syracuse, to work towards a PhD.  After he completed his PhD in Chemistry he secured employment at Allied Chemical Corporation in Morris Township. He excelled in the polymer section, overseeing a vast workforce. He has met with numerous dignitaries, and was featured in a Time-Life book about matter. He was directly responsible, with others, for over 30 patents, and is listed in Who’s Who in America. All through this time, he was deeply involved with his children’s affairs, working for the Madison Little League as an umpire, and also numerous years working with Boy Scout Troop #7. He was an avid Brooklyn Dodger fan, and then a New York Met fan and has attended many games.

Upon retirement, George became involved as a volunteer for the rose gardens in Madison for numerous years, and spent ten years as a volunteer at Morristown Memorial Hospital. He was a long-standing member of the Madison Golf Course. He and Christine traveled extensively in the winter months, and for 60 years enjoyed the Jersey Shore.

George was a voracious reader, so much so that he reread countless books. Since childhood he had been listening to WQXR, and loved classical music.  He developed a love of the game of Bridge early, during his college years, and continued to play during his lunch breaks at work throughout his career and into retirement. His favorite part of the newspaper was the Bridge column and the crossword puzzles; he loved games. (We used to joke that only reason he had children was so he could have someone to play with!) An avid Pinochle player, he played many a late night tournament. He loved to build things (especially kites) and, as a child, blowing things up with his chemistry set. He was fascinated with airplanes, jets, and anything else that could fly.

To put this man into a single word would be impossible. To look into those magical blue eyes was to see the childlike wonderment never left him, despite his well-accomplished adult life. He used to say he was “born hungry”, and that lust for life was evident to all who knew him. There was this eloquent simplicity, and despite his extreme intelligence, it never overshadowed his patience, forbearance, humility, generosity, and an anchored-in-granite steadfastness: an unassuming gentleman. Notwithstanding, he was a bit of a scamp, fun loving, shrewd, and loyally encouraging. He would say at times “ it ‘s a great life if you don’t weaken,” and “the great thing about life, is you get to live it.”

Pop, you have taken a piece of us with you, but you have left a good portion behind for us to hold in our hearts.

George was predeceased by many friends and family, most notably his wife Christine Emma Schneider Schmitt and two grandsons Brandon Mitchell Carlson and Dylan Thomas Schmitt. He is survived by his children Paul Matthew, Carol Anne Carlson and her husband Gary, Mark Christopher Schmitt and his wife Deborah, and David Neil Schmitt and his wife Deidre; and seven surviving grandchildren, Danielle Lee McCarthy and her husband Robert, Morgan Carlson, Ryan Carlson, Tiernan Schmitt, Canaan Schmitt, Katie Rose Schmitt, Noah Joseph Schmitt, and two great-grandchildren, Madison Anne McCarthy and Robert Emmet McCarthy III, and a very special niece and goddaughter, Ann Warhol, her husband Jim, their three children, Emily, Matthew, and Daniel, and Emily’s son Gage.

In lieu of flowers, donations to the charity of your choice and tell the people in your life that you love them.