Robert Schmidt Jr.
1941 - 2021
Robert Schmidt Jr., born December 4, 1941, in Kenosha WI to the late Robert Schmidt Sr. and Elaine Schmidt, passed away peacefully with his family by his side on July 6, 2021 at Froedtert South Hospital. Bob graduated from Mary D. Bradford and attended The University of Wisconsin-Lacrosse and Missouri State. He retired from Chrysler Motors after 30 plus years.
On August 26, 1972 at St. Thomas Catholic Church in Kenosha he would marry Carole Volpentesta.
He was known to many as "Schmidty" or "Crunch" while he was a lifelong Kenosha resident, he spent many years traveling the world, he especially enjoyed spending time and traveling with his family across Asia and Europe. You could always find him at a ball field or hockey rink watching the many, many games of his sons and grandsons. The 5am wakeup time for golf was something he enjoyed; he loved golf but really enjoyed being out on the course with family and friends. His strength was second to none and his sense of fashion was bold and colorful – just as he lived his life with his true love, Babes.
He is survived by his loving wife Carole Schmidt (Volpentesta); sons: Robert (and Sara) Schmidt III, Ryan (and Lisa) Schmidt; grandchildren: Bella, Nolan, Emma, and Miles; brothers-in-law: Tony Pontillo and Joe Larsen; along with many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his father Robert Schmidt Sr., mother Elaine (Tiny) Schmidt; his sisters: Bernadine Larsen and Judy Rought; and sister-in-law Donna Pontillo (Volpentesta).
A Mass of Christian Burial will take place on Saturday July 9, 2021, at 10:30 AM at St. Mary's Catholic Church, (corner of 39th Avenue and 73rd Street). Visitation will be held on Saturday at the church from 9:00 AM until the time of mass.
Burial will take later at St. George Catholic Cemetery.
Alex Matusevicius
It is with great sadness that we are reading this notice. Over time we have lost contact with Bob and Carole but have fond memories of times "back in the day". Our condolences to Carole and her family. May he live on in their hearts.
James Roy
To The Schmidt Family
Diane Rose (Schaefer)
My condolences to Schmidty’s family on his passing. I did not know him too well but have good memories of him during our Bradford days. Prayers for you that happy memories will ease your loss.
Karen Muir (Sivley)
I spent quite lot of time 6with Bob when he was dating Betty Huettner any I was dating Pete Groves. I even got to ride on his Motorcycle a few times. It was good to see him at our last reunion and talk over old times.
Gary Hillesland
Sad to see another classmate pass. I too remember Smitty from the wrestling team. He was our heavyweight. As I remember he wasn't all that big, but wrestled some big heavyweights and beat them. I always thought he had great courage and heart.
John Sturino
Was so sorry to have to read this about Bob. We had several good times together. Played football with him thru Junior high and high school. Can't believe it. My condolences to the family.
Jerald Greco
Our condolences to the Schmidt family! Bob was fun to be around and talk to. I not only wrestled with Bob but also shared a ton of days with him at our workplace. R.I.P. my friend.
Jerry and Teri Lea Greco
David Schneider
Bob Schmidt was an unique person, whether we called him Bob, Schmidty, or crunch. He had a flair for life. As, I mentioned to another class member, He did things his way.
I knew Bob for 66 years, starting in Lincolin junior high school (we shared the same home room). Many of those that attended Lincolin elementary school knew him ever longer. In the home room, I wondered who this upstart was. Bob, played football in seventh and eighth grade, and I joined the team in ninth grade. I saw his competitive spirit.
Bob in his sophmore year, moved up to the vasity football team, as well as some other classmates. I played with the sophmore team, but joined Bob for our junior and senior years of football.
I played two different sports with Bob. Football and wrestling. In our senior year, Bob and I were the heaviest members on the team. Needless to say Bob and I were paired up in pactice. My wrestling weight was 165 pounds and Bob was heavyweight (although, he was not a true heavyweight). I appreciated what Gary Hillesland has to say about Bob, that he had to wrestle opponents much, much heavier than he, and fought with courage and heart.
I must tell the story of our Big Eight conference meet. I won my first two matches, but lost my third match (which meant I couldn't go further). Bob won all three of his matches which qualified him to wrestle for the Big Eight championship. Also, quite, a few of our other team members also qualified. However, the championship for Bradford to win the Big Eight rested on Bob to win his match. In his fighting spirit, he won his match, and gave Bradford High School the Big Eight Westling Championship for our 1961 class.
Spencer Sorenson, who was our team manager, mentioned how he and Bob would joke about how Spencer counted our laps, after practice for conditioning. We all have to run our laps for life. It is how we run them that counts. WELL DONE BOB.
Just for people to know, Bob, was the best man for my wedding. I will miss him greatly, but knowing that he is with our MAkER.
Dave
James (Jim) Pierce
Like other classmates, I along with Dave Schneider and Buzz Englund, had the pleasure of keeping our friendship going for over 60 years. Dave and Dolly, Suezette and Buzz, Bob and Carole and my wife Kris and I spend 50+ New Year's Eves together. During some of the earlier years our children joined us for bowling and other fun. We had many good times together, and as others mentioned, Bob was a unique personality, did his things his own way, and he and his wife Carole were, and are, life time friends. My condolences go out to Carole, and his sons Robert and Ryan and their families. Rest in Peace Crunch!
Suzette Arnoldini (Englund)
I am long overdue to post a note for Bob. It has been hard to do the "In Memory" page since Buzz died and for a while I could not. "Crunch" and Buzz were very good friends. And as Jiim Pierce said as couples Bob and Carole, Dave and Dolly, Jim and Kris and Buzz and I kept a close friendship for 60 years. In high school Bob was full of energy and fun. He liked to be a bit of a daredevil and I recall him giving me a ride on his motorcycle, him fearless and me wondering what in the world I was doing on the back of that bike! Buzz went to Missouri for college and Bob came out for a while to go there for wresling. He was an excellent wrestler. Also he loved to play cards and he and Buzz and my brother and another Kenosha guy at the college spent probably way too many hours playing hearts and other card games. Oh if only there had been a cards major, all of them would have been Rhodes Scholars! In adulthood Bob married a terrific girl and he and Carole had 2 boys who were the light of Bobs life. The boys grew up to be very successful and loved their dad. Bob was so brave really. When he had his leg amputated he worked very hard to get back to a normal life and he was amazing. He did just about everything he did before the surgery. I know he often had pain from health problems but he never complained. He loved to golf and he was good at it. When he died he had willed his golf clubs to Buzz, honestly who would have ever believed that Buzz would die about 5 months later. Buzz's grandson has the golf clubs now and he has big shoes to fill! Bob was such a life of the party. He always had funny stories and jokes and was such a good friend he would give you the shirt off his back, and speaking of shirts he was a bit of a "fashionesta!" Cute glasses, and the latest styes, and always an interesting mustache or facial hair. He and Buzz would spend long hours on the phone solving all the worlds problems. I certainly miss Bob and am grateful to him for his very long friendship.