1955-2023
Ronald "Ron" J. Schmidt passed away at the age of 68 on Saturday, September 30, 2023, in the hospital surrounded by family.
Ron was a rare man of character, responsibility, strength, and yet almost the first thing anyone would mention about him was how he liked to have fun and make sure everyone around him was having fun too.
Ron was proud of being a lifelong Edmondite. The youngest of 3 children, he was born above where Othello's is currently in downtown Edmond. He spent his youth developing a passion for vehicles. Motorcycles, cars, boats – he loved to be on the go riding in something fun. And you could be sure that it was clean and full of gas. Growing up, he formed many long-lasting friendships with his wonderful classmates, who he would look forward to meeting with to reminisce on their countless good times.
Ron had known Patti from an early age, as their parents didn't live too far from each other. They were high school sweethearts who got married in the spring of 1977. Their devotion to each other was admirable and they possessed a remarkable love for each other, always looking out for each other, offering support and enjoying sharing their lives. They presented a united front and aimed to look on the bright side of life.
Ron and Patti had a son, Evan, and daughter, Emily, and it was clear that family was a top priority to them. Ron was Evan's best friend and Emily's biggest supporter. They shared many wonderful times and their relationships remained close throughout the different phases of life. He was very proud of them and would drop anything to be there for them if needed.
Ron began his career out at the Fife Corporation in the 70's and spent the next nearly 4 decades working his way up, eventually becoming Director of Sales for Maxcess International, and later a consultant in the web handling factory machinery industry. He earned a Bachelors in Business from the University of Central Oklahoma. Over the span of his career, he made connections at trade shows and in industry associations and met many people around the world. His position took him to Germany, Japan, India, and countless U.S. cities. The traveling could be tiresome at times, but he was a dedicated family man that looked forward to getting home and had interesting stories to share. He was a man who worked hard to meet his goals and took great care of the things he earned.
Retirement came and he and Patti got to enjoy the slower pace of life, a lake house and boat, spending time with their children and playing with their grandchildren. There was never a time that Ron didn't have a project he was working on, and he was not the type to sit around inside. His grandsons loved helping with yardwork or getting the chance to mess around in the shop. He was a gracious host at Grand Lake, happy to take you out to his favorite spots to spend the afternoon floating and relaxing in the sun, then come back and grill fantastic steaks with mushrooms on top. He was grateful for everything he had and prayed before every meal.
Ron is preceded in death by his father: Roland Schmidt, and his mother: W. Berniece Schmidt. He is survived by his wife: Patti Schmidt. Children: Evan Schmidt and wife Kristen, Emily Orcutt and husband Matt. Grandchildren: Weston, Kaden, Gavin, and Kylie. Siblings: Gene Schmidt and wife Melinda, Kaye Olsmith. Along with several nephews, one niece, and numerous other family members and friends that were of the utmost importance to him. And they all knew it too.
Ron was a man that people knew they could call, and help would be on the way.
Visitation will be held from 1-8 p.m., Thursday, October 5 at Matthews Funeral Home.
Services will be held at 10:00 a.m., Friday, October 6, 2023 at Matthews Funeral Home Chapel with interment to follow at Gracelawn Cemetery.
We will be live streaming this service in an effort to accommodate those people that wish to attend but are not able to. To watch the service CLICK HERE to go to our YouTube page. Click on 'Videos', then 'Live Streams'.