Anita is survived by her husband retired Technical Sergeant Brian L. Schmidt of Perry, Georgia; her parents, Enrico J. and Rosemary Potenziani, of Kathleen, Georgia; her sister, Ida Bessette, of Danbury, Conn.; five step-children, Robin Kissock (John) of Bloomington, MN; 2nd Lt. John Schmidt (Amanda) of Ft Riley, KS; Brady Schmidt of Watertown, SD; William Schmidt and Madalynne Schmidt of Perry; plus numerous other relatives.
Anita was a 1974 graduation from Danbury High School, Danbury, Conn. She attended Western Connecticut State College, earned her bachelor’s degree in journalism from Charter Oak College in Farmington, and her master’s degree in mass communications from the University of the Incarnate Word in San Antonio, Texas.
Anita enlisted in the United States Air Force and served from March 1978 to September 2002. Her assignments included Keesler Air Force Base, Miss.; Bitburg Air Base, Germany; K.I. Sawyer Air Force Base, Mich.; Joint Task Force Bravo, Honduras; Lackland Air Force Base, Texas; Air Force Surgeon General’s Staff at the Pentagon; and finally as the Public Affairs Superintendent for Air Force Reserve Command, Robins Air Force Base, Georgia.
After retiring from the Air Force, Anita taught several courses from 2002 until 2010 when her health forced her to stop working. She taught within the Communications discipline, including public speaking, public relations, news writing, media relations, interpersonal and cross cultural communications, at Macon State College, Mercer University, Gordon College, and at the Warner Robins campus of Georgia Military College.
Anita was also very active in the Associates of the Vietnam Veterans of America, her local church and the Christian Motorcycle Association with which she went on several overseas mission trips to present pastors with small motorcycles.
A memorial service will held at Andrew United Methodist Church in Kathleen, GA at 3 PM December 30th.
SHARE OBITUARY
v.1.8.18