Roderick James “Ricky” Schmidt Jr.,32, of Amherst, Virginia, and formerly Gum Spring, Virginia, died on Tuesday, July 7, 2020, after an over a yearlong battle with pancreatic cancer. Ricky was born October 21, 1987, to Helen Comer and Roderick Schmidt. Ricky is survived by his beloved dogs Hemi and Turbo, mother Helen Comer, his father Roderick J Schmidt Sr. (Rose Stark), sister Jessica Thornton (Bradley), nephew Harrison Thornton, grandmother Mary Swire, grandfather Bob Swire, aunt Eleanor Schmidt, uncle Steve Swire (Virginia), cousin Tory Swire, and a lot of close friends. Ricky is preceded in death by his grandmother Dee Schmidt, aunt Bridget Schmidt Shepard, great grandparents Esty and Joe Swire, and best friend, Sean Harris.
Ricky grew up on a farm in Bealeton, Virginia, until 2001 and spent the rest of his childhood living in a lake house in Louisa, Virginia, where his love for the outdoors began. While living on the farm, Ricky’s Grandfather, Bob Swire, let him drive an old pickup truck around, and a love for cars and mechanics was born. That passion continued, and as a teenager, Ricky was known for his 1973 Nova, in which he had completely rebuilt the engine alone. Ricky received his high school diploma from Louisa County High School in 2006, where he also took a shop class that helped him decide he would like to pursue his passion for cars. Ricky received his Automotive/NASCAR Technology degree from NASCAR Technical Institute in Mooresville, North Carolina.
Ricky had an inquisitive mind from a young age, and any interest he had, he became a subject matter expert. While other kids were watching cartoons, Ricky was watching documentaries on The Discovery Channel. He was very interested in sharks, cars, the study of nuclear physics, music, trains, and many other things. While most teenagers were listening to whatever was on the radio, he was known to be strumming a guitar to Jimmy Hendrix, Peter Frampton, AC/DC, or Lynyrd Skynyrd.
As an adult, Ricky combined his years of experience and love of mechanics into his love for trains. He became a railroad Conductor for CSX Transportation, where he was nicknamed “the MacGyver of the railroad.” In true Ricky fashion, a spark of interest in hiking and cycling became a way of life that he built everything around. It’s what led to the purchase of his mountainside home, his sudden love of Subarus instead of Hondas, and what got him into vlogging to share those passions.
Ricky could always be counted on for a laugh, an adventure, or a helpful hand. He could be hard to predict but was still reliably there for loved ones. Ricky had a real zest for life and will be truly missed.
A gathering will be held in his honor at his home in Amherst this weekend to include a celebration of life starting at 12 noon on Saturday, July 11, 2020. We will be respecting social distancing, and it will be held outside. Due to late notice and COVID, there will be a more formal celebration of life held at one of his favorite mountains, Mount Pleasant, in the fall. Details to be determined.
In lieu of flowers, please consider making donations to The Pancreatic Cancer Action Network at www.pancan.org.
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