SCHMIDT, MICHAEL

Michael Schmidt passed away Tuesday, November 21st at his residence in Sonora, CA. Mike was born to John “Jack” Schmidt & Nellie Gertrude Schmidt on November 8, 1945 in Napa, Ca. He was the second child in the family, joining older sister Joan Akers. He attended Napa elementary and junior high schools, and Napa High School. When he was just 15 years old, he was critically injured in a major car accident and was hospitalized for over a month. After recovering, he finished high school and attended Napa Junior College, then transferred to California State University, Chico. At CSU-Chico, Mike met Susan Jane Peterson (or “Petie” as he always called her) in the spring of 1966. Mike was a member of the TKE fraternity and asked Petie to attend one of their fraternity parties for their first date-the rest is history! After a long summer apart while Mike was away driving tour buses at Yellowstone National Park, and many love letters bridging the months, they were reunited and married the following spring on March 1, 1968. Their children, David Johnathan Schmidt and Jenny Lynn Schmidt were raised in the small town of Colusa where Mike became the Chief Probation Officer of the county and Susan was a teacher. In 1987, they moved to Vacaville where Mike worked for the Solano County Court as the Branch Court Manager in Vallejo and Petie taught Home Economics at Fairfield High. He was able to retire early in August of 2001, and he and Petie moved to Sonora/Twain Harte where they were able to spend 16 wonderful years together traveling around the country and to many National Parks and museums. Mike loved history and geology and would stop at every historical road marker to read the signs, and never took the same route twice.
Mike loved being outdoors, fishing and camping with his family, and he especially loved sitting out on the deck enjoying a good crossword puzzle or a book. Not a weekend passed without a game of golf with friends, especially at the Twain Harte and Phoenix Lake golf courses where he made many friends. In retirement, Mike and Susan enjoyed games of volleyball, cards, and bowling with their many friends. Mike was a fierce competitor and loved to win and would let you know it. He would smack talk if he was winning and cry foul if he was losing. But at heart, Mike was a very kind and caring person that would help out anyone he met. Mike would always be found puttering in the garage or woodworking in his shop where he made countless birdhouses, music boxes, and other wooden decorations, mostly as gifts to others. He loved playing games, especially “Snorts” with his family, and cribbage with his best friend George McCarthy. Every Monday for the last few years he played Pinochle with the Twain Harte Son’s in Retirements (SIRS). Mike passed away quietly in his sleep with Petie at his side on November 21, 2017 after a short but difficult battle with cancer. His friends and family miss him greatly and will never be the same without him. Mike was beloved by his three grandchildren; Jacob, Bradley, and Autumn, as well as many extended family and close friends. Our “Sir Star” is gone but will live on with us in memory forever. Terzich and Wilson Funeral Home are handling the arrangements.

• Date of Death: 11/21/2017
• Age: 72
• Residence: Sonora
• Celebration of Life: A Celebration of Life will be held Friday, January 19th at 2pm at Twain Harte Golf Course Clubhouse, Twain Harte. Terzich and Wilson Funeral Home are in charge of cremation arrangements. In lieu of flowers, donations to Veterans' charities or hospice would be appreciated.