Richard Stephen Schmidt

Richard is survived by his wife, Anette Schmidt, and his two daughters, Nadia & Elena Schmidt. He was preceded in death by his mother Sally Ann Schmidt, and is lovingly remembered by his father, Richard Schmidt, and his siblings, Lisa Shuler, Melinda Smith, and Bob Schmidt.

Richard was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, and grew up in Charlotte, NC where he attended Charlotte Catholic High School. He graduated from Appalachian State University, where he established his love for the Blue Ridge Mountains. He met his wife Anette in Germany, after earning his MBA at App State and accepting a job with Stockhausen in Krefeld, They moved back to North Carolina where they raised their daughters. He spent his professional career working in sales & business development for several German companies.

He was recently retired, and looked forward to doing the things he loved most: exercising and playing pickleball, taking Arabic lessons, spending time with his wife and two girls, and traveling the world. He had plans to visit Portugal, Egypt, and Montenegro, spend time with old friends in Koblenz, explore southern California with his two girls, and so much more. He will be deeply missed by all of his family and friends.

A service will be held at St. Pius X Catholic Church (on Elm Street) on Friday, July 25th at 11:00am. A reception will follow next door in the Simmons Center.

Richard spent much of his free time supporting refugee families displaced by genocide and war, helping them resettle and start their lives in the United States. In lieu of flowers, we want to honor Richard’s passion for helping those less fortunate, and collect donations for one of his favorite charities, UNICEF. You may access the fundraiser using this link: https://give.unicefusa.org/-/NUREUENG?member=SGKLNANA.