Elbert William Schmitt Jr.

Dr. E William Schmitt, Jr. of Suwanee, Georgia was called home by God on March 22, 2023. Dr. Schmitt, fondly known as Butch, was an amazing husband, father, and grandfather. He was born in Jacksonville, Florida to Elynor and Elbert Schmitt. After graduating high school at the age of 16, he went on to obtain a medical degree from Emory University, where he met his wife of sixty years, Yvonne. After his orthopaedic residency At Harvard, Dr. Schmitt went to Vietnam to serve his country in the Marines where he wanted to be a front line soldier. The military had different plans and later transferred Dr. Schmitt to the Navy to serve as a physician to assist with injured soldiers. Upon his return to a civilian life, Butch became a successful and prominent pediatric orthopaedic surgeon at Egleston, now known as Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. For over forty years, Dr. Schmitt treated children. His excellence in treating children came from being able to diagnose rare conditions, saving extremities from lawn mower injuries, and, treating children with scoliosis, spina bifida, and cerebral palsy. He taught many residents how to go on and become successful orthopaedic surgeons all over the country. Dr. Schmitt’s selfless and teddy bear personality resulted in being one of the most loved people to work with. If you ever wanted a good story or joke, you knew Butch had one for you. Dr. Schmitt loved to pull pranks and joke around a lot, which led him to walk in the Children’s Christmas parade for many years dressed up as a clown. He always took the time to check on people, make sure all his employees, fellow physicians, radiology techs, OR nurses, and patients were doing well. Dr. Schmitt was known to help others financially, mentally, or physically. Once he retired, he suffered health problems but that never stopped him from caring for others. Often times, he would give to the homeless on his way to dialysis. He never missed sending flowers to his wife for anniversaries, birthdays, or holidays, even if he was lying in an ICU bed. Every day he checked on his children and their families. He truly is the definition of selfless. To know him is to love him. Butch will be missed terribly by many. Butch is survived by his wife, Yvonne; their children and spouses, Evie and Paul, Will, Becky and Gregg; and their grandchildren, Logan, Grayson, and Alex. Services will held at Patterson Funeral Home of 173 Allen Rd NE, Sandy Springs, GA 30328 on Wednesday, March 29, 2023 at 1 p.m. in the Arlington Chapel. Flowers will be accepted. Or in lieu of flowers, donations can be made in memory of Butch to the Disabled Americans Veterans (dav.org) or K9s for Warriors (k9sforwarriors.org).