John August Schmidt

John was born in Bryan, TX to Emil H. and Myrtle B. Schmidt. Early in his life, he moved with his parents to Huntsville, TX where he grew up. He attended school in Huntsville and graduated from Huntsville High School in 1961. After high school, he attended Texas A&M University and graduated with a degree in Electrical Engineering in 1965. While at Texas A&M, John represented the university on the then popular television quiz show “College Bowl.” 

After graduating from Texas A&M, John attended MIT where he studied in the Department of Electrical Engineering/Computer Science and received a Master's Degree specializing in Random Processes. 

John lived in the Washington DC area for most of his working life where he worked on various contracts for the Navy. Some of his work took place on submarines and even took him under the Artic Circle. Eventually, John moved back to his native Texas where he worked for Lockheed Martin at their NASA facility in Houston. 

John loved music, movies, reading the classics, and lunch at his favorite restaurants. He had a soft spot for stray animals and over the years welcomed a few of them into his home. 

John passed away in Houston on October 2, 2023 after a brief illness. He was predeceased by his father, Emil Schmidt (2001) and his mother, Myrtle Schmidt (2003).  He is survived by his sister, Susan Schmidt Smart of Placida, FL and his favorite cousin, Judy Brown of Natick, MA.

He is buried in his family’s plot at Bryan City Cemetery. Donations can be made in his memory to Bay Area Pet Adoptions at http://www.bayareapetadoptions.org.