Mr. William C. Schmitz

William C. Schmitz, 98, died roller skating in North Park when attempting to escape his ‘keeper.’ He strayed from the pedestrian path onto the roadway and hit a speed bump. That’s how Bill wanted his obituary to open. He died on May 24, 2015 at the age of 89. He was born to William M. Schmitz and Elsie (Rueckert) Schmitz; his sister Marie died at the age of 12 when he was 9. He is survived by his wife of 66 years, Ruth (Mayer) Schmitz, whose love was the most important thing in his life; two daughters, Linda S. Lindgren and Dianne M. Buirge; two sons-in-law, Bob Lindgren and Timothy Buirge; and two wonderful grandchildren, Brian Buirge and Elsa Lindgren. William was a World War II veteran and was awarded a Combat Infantry Badge, Purple Heart, Bronze Star for Bravery Under Fire, Philippine Liberation Ribbon with two Battle Stars, Pacific Theater Ribbon with two Battle Stars, and an Arrowhead for making two amphibious landings in the Philippines and Okinawa. He spent 9 months in Army hospitals recovering from leg wounds and was not bashful about using his misfortune when he was negotiating his handicap on the first tee of a golf match. He was a tough negotiator. After graduating from Case-Western Reserve with a degree in Mechanical Engineering, William worked for 30 years at US Steel and retired at age 52 from the position of Corporate Manager of Production Methods. After retirement, he did part-time consulting work for domestic and foreign steel producers. With his free time he played golf, gardened, and became a successful investor. He took his extended family on vacations and to fancy restaurants and took his grandson, Brian, on trips around the city. He was also crazy about his granddaughter, Elsa, who lives in NH, but visited often with her grandparents in Pittsburgh. “GrampBill” was always there when anyone in the family needed something. Need a house? An argument? An automobile? A plumber? A college education? An electrician? A carpenter? A chewing out? You never needed to even ask. GrampBill knew and provided. We miss GrampBill! Visitation begins at St Paul’s UMC, 1965 Ferguson Road, on Thursday, May 28 at 9:30 AM with a service at 11:00. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to North Hills Community Outreach, Celtic Hospice, or Salvation Army.

Mr. William C. Schmitz

December 28, 1925 - May 24, 2015