Obituary of Charles M. Schmidt

CLEVELAND - Charles M. (Charlie) Schmidt, P.E., passed away on February 16, 2021 at The Cleveland Clinic following a long battle with COPD. Born in Charles City IA on April 29, 1937 to the late Earl M. Schmidt and Patricia (Amy) Anderson, Charlie was a resident of Iowa City, IA, Barberton, Boston Heights, Walton Hills, Sagamore Hills, and Orange. A 1955 graduate of Charles City High School, he received his Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from The University of Iowa in 1960 and a member of the Theta Tau chapter there. He worked as a powerhouse foreman at Pittsburgh Plate and Glass (PPG) in Barberton, design engineer for Karl Rohrer & Associates in Akron, and joined Noble W. Herzberg & Associates of Cleveland in 1964 for the design of the Anaheim Stadium in Anaheim, CA. In 1965, with partners he founded Schmidt & Associates Engineering, succeeding Herzberg & Associates, and becoming President of Schmidt Associates, Inc. in 1971, a respected company for more than 40 years. Charlie served as both Village Engineer and Councilman for the Village of Boston Heights. Charlie holds several patents and is a nationally recognized expert in pollution control for coal-fired boilers. Always willing to share his expertise, he taught for both the University of Wisconsin Madison and Penn State, and his expertise was recognized and throughout the US with utilities and private companies alike, including the Corps of Engineers, Navy, Army, Air Force, GM, and Ford, as well as around the world, taking him to Iran, Japan, China, and Russia. He never forgot his Iowa roots, and has fond memories of his 42-acre horse farm in Boston Heights prior its acquisition by the Cuyahoga Valley National Park as a historic site in 1988. His passions included fishing, and he always looked forward to taking clients, friends, and family out for a day of walleye or perch fishing on Lake Erie. In addition to his parents, he is preceded in death by his first wife Carolyn Heath, sons Charles and Mathew J. Schmidt, daughter Rebecca Schmidt, and son-in-law Brian Wacker. He is survived by his wife of 22 years Vera Borzova, M.D. of Orange, sister Joan Chandler of Charles City IA, sons John (Tina) Schmidt and Michael (Jill) Schmidt of Kent, Matthew E. Schmidt of Orange, and daughters Greta Wacker of Helena MT and Katya Schmidt of Orange. He cherished his grandchildren Scott Schmidt, Bethany Schmidt (Jonathan Bletsoe), Amanda (Steve) Happel, Jessica (Emmet) Wester, Douglas Schmidt (Kelly Scheuerman), Rebecca Wacker (Sean Barbula), and Jennifer Schmidt, as well looking forward to meeting his great-grandchildren Brian Wester and Zoey Wester. Friends and family will be received Wednesday, February 24, 2021 from 5 to 7 PM at Redmon Funeral Home, 3633 Darrow Road (State Route 91), Stow 44224, and where a memorial service will be held at 1 PM on Thursday, February 25, 2021. Graveside services will follow at Fairview Cemetery, 45 E. Boston Mills Road, Boston Heights, OH. Use of masks and social distancing will be mandatory at all events. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in memory of Charlie to the Sierra Club Ohio Chapter, PO Box 1977, Westerville, OH 43086.