Lillian Louise Schmidt

Sadly, our much-loved Lillian (Lil, Lilly) Schmidt, 89, of Bellevue, WA., passed away on March 9, 2025, after years of battling health challenges, passed away 2 months shy of her 90-birthday, due to natural causes.

Lillian Louise Schmidt was born on May 3, 1935, on Lopez Island, WA. to Eleinor Schruder and Richard Herold, she also had a younger brother Gary Herold. In later years she had a blended family, when her foster parents Earl and Irene Wyman took in both Lillian and her brother Gary. The Wyman’s added another brother, with her brother Gale Wyman, to family years later. Lillian was very accomplished at anything she put her mind to doing. She was an excellent student and acquired sewing and knitting skills in her teen years. She was also great on roller skates. Her first job after high School was at a Paff sewing machine store. Lillian married her first love, Richard Neighbors in September 1955, with whom she shared three children: Ryan, Leanne, and Robin (Rob). Although that marriage ended in divorce, she remained close with Richard’s side of the family, especially with her sister-in-law, Arleen and her nephew Kelly and nieces Trina, Tami, and in later years, sister-in-law Nancy. After she was married, and Ryan was born, she worked as a substitute schoolteacher. Later she worked at the Renton Shopping Center, in management and as a bookkeeper. In that phase of her life, she also had her own Fashion Store, Fashion West, where she was a buyer and held fashion shows for the shopping center. In May of 1966, Lillian found love again and married Theodore Schmidt and she became mother to Glenn. Her family was rapidly increasing in size, and she was very excited to be an aunt when brother Gale had twin boys, Erik and Errol. Christmas would never be the same with new babies in the family! When her four children grew up, she was over the moon to be blessed with four Granddaughters: Nicole, Ciara, Alison, and Malia. Later her blessings continued as her family expanded to include three great granddaughters, that she adored and doted on: Lilly, Rayna, and Robyn. She loved nothing more than her children, her Grandchildren, nephews, nieces, and greatgrandchildren. You could see the pride she had in the family very time they were together. Lillian found a sanctuary in Maui, Hawaii and lavished in Hawaiian culture. She golfed there and visited as much as she could. She was an accomplished amateur-expert golfer and held championship titles many times with a 6 handicap.

Lillian was known for being incredibly gifted with her every hobby or endeavor. She was accomplished at: bowling, writing poetry, painting, crocheting, knitting, sewing, and needlework. She made clothes and knitted sweaters for all her family members. She also made doll clothes to help make money for the Orthopedic guild and Children’s Hospital and was an ace card player with Bridge. She loved being a hostess; getting people together and enjoyed hosting Christmas Eve, holiday dinners, and bridge parties. She was blessed with life-long friends and sang in her church choir. She was very loved by family and friends and will live on in our hearts forever!

She is survived by her brother Gale and wife Becky, sister-in-law Nancy, four children, Ryan and partner Betty, Glenn and wife Kendra, Rob, and Leanne, as well as four granddaughters, Nicole and husband Kevin, Alison and husband Robert, Ciara, and Malia, and three great-granddaughters, Lilly, Rayna, and Robyn, as well as nephews, Kelly and wife Vel, Eric and Errol, and nieces, Trina and husband Mark, Tami, Laura and partner Greg.

A funeral service for Lillian will be held Sunday, March 30, 2025 from 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM at Evergreen Washelli Funeral Home, 11111 Aurora Ave N, Seattle, WA 98133. Following the funeral service a reception will occur from 12:00 PM to 2:00 PM, followed by a graveside service, in the Evergreen Washelli Memorial Park Cemetery, from 2:00 PM to 2:30 PM.