Edwin W. Schmidt

Edwin “Ed” William Schmidt, age 80, passed away on Wednesday, December 11, 2024 surrounded by family. Ed was born in Watertown, Wisconsin on October 28, 1944, the youngest child of the late Edwin and Viola Schmidt. He was a life-long resident of Central Ohio, growing up in Gahanna and lived in Reynoldsburg and East Columbus. He was a graduate of Gahanna Lincoln High School Class of 1962. He then went on to The Ohio State University, where he holds a Bachelor's Degree in Food Technology and Master’s Degree in Horticulture. He also completed all his coursework toward his Doctorate. On July 23, 1966, Ed married Carole J. Leiser in Oak Harbor, Ohio. He began part-time work at Ross Laboratories Research and Development Department beginning in Quality Assurance. Ed moved to Abbott International traveling over the next six years to open plants in Canada and Holland. He also started new operations in Mexico, South Africa and Argentina. On the weekends, Ed was able to travel to other European countries and visit parts of South Africa and Argentina. He transferred departments and continued his work in Columbus as a quality engineer and retired in 2000 as a Senior Process Engineer after 32 years of service. In 1975, Ed and Carole, began a business making wooden and stuffed toys (Toys ‘N Stuff). Ed started developing his own designs for construction, farming, trucks, airplanes, and trains. Soon, Carole joined him doing the sanding and finishing work. His designs delighted children and collectors alike. For 40 years, Ed and Carole traveled doing arts and crafts shows in 14 states. When Ed retired from Abbot, there were many trips to Chicago, Vermont, Massachusetts and Florida. After his retirement from toy making in 2015, Ed concentrated on designing a wonderful HO train layout. He spent many hours developing his train world and collecting rolling stock; however, illness prevented him from enjoying the fruits of his labors. Ed was an avid Ohio State Buckeye fan and Cincinnati Reds fan. He loved wildlife photography, fishing, and traveling especially to the Canadian Rockies and Alaska. In addition to his parents, Ed was preceded in death by sister, Diane Bernard. He is survived by his beloved wife of 58 years, Carole J. (Leiser) Schmidt; daughter, Traci (Andrew) Schnipke of Lima, Ohio and son, Greg (Tricia) Schmidt of Upper Arlington, Ohio; grandchildren, Lane Schnipke, CJ Schnipke and Ella Schmidt; and nieces. Family will receive friends 10:00 am – 11:00 am Monday, December 16, 2024 at Schoedinger East, 5360 E. Livingston Ave. Columbus, Ohio, where the funeral service will begin at 11:00 am. A special thank you to the caregivers and staff at Wexner Heritage House and Zusman Hospice for their care of Ed and the Schmidt family. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made in Ed’s memory to the American Red Cross.