Erika Sibylle Schmid

Erika Sibylle Schmid of Toms River, NJ, 98 years old, passed away peacefully on January 19, 2026. She is survived by her daughter Amelie Littell and son-in-law John Snyder as well as by her granddaughter Cassandra Schmid and her companion, Roger Feltman, their children Emilie and Averie, and her grandson Lorenz Schmid and his spouse, Anzelika Wrobel-Schmid. Erika was preceded in death by her loving husband, Lorenz and her son, Peter Schmid, who was Cassandra's and Lorenz's father.

Erika loved to play bridge, read novels, and cook delicious food, especially for her birthday parties on the Fourth of July. Erika swam across the Rhine River in Koblenz, Germany, and across Lake George in NY, and especially enjoyed swimming in her pool in New City, NY as well as the ocean at Jones Beach, NY, where the lifeguards often called her in because she swam too far out. Before she married, she went on dude ranch vacations, where she loved riding horses. Erika worked in book publishing for over forty years as a copy editor and managing editor.

Erika was born in Lawrence, MA, to Max and Amalie Keiler on July 4, 1927, and spent much of her childhood in Koblenz, Germany. She spoke German and English fluently, and could converse in Spanish, French, and Italian. She met the love of her life, Lorenz Schmid, at a soccer game on Randall's Island in New York City. They married on August 13, 1951, lived in the Bronx for a few years, and then moved to New City, NY in 1958, where they enjoyed life to the fullest for many years.

Burial will be at Germonds Cemetery in New City, on Wednesday, January 28, 2026.