Hugo Schmidt

Hugo Schmidt, 98, of Tampa, passed away March 10, 2019. Hugo was born on August 5, 1920 in Brooklyn, New York to Juanita Garcia and Hugo Schmidt. After his father’s death he moved to Tampa when he was 8 years old and attended Hillsborough County Public Schools. In December 1941, he graduated from the US Naval Academy and immediately began his World War II service in the Pacific Theater. He served for 4 years in the Pacific and for 1 year in China after the war. In 1947 Hugo retired from the Navy as a Lieutenant Commander and immediately returned to Tampa. In 1949 he married Louise Lake and they were married for over 70 years. They had 4 children– Mary Louise (Bill), George Booker (Kim), Hugo Jr. and Paul Lake (Juli). In 1953, Hugo started a building material supply business and owned it for 35 years until it was sold in 1988. Hugo had a very strong belief in public education and in 1967 he ran for the Hillsborough County School Board. He served on the School Board from 1967-1976, acting as chairman twice, including during the desegregation period of the school system. In 2003, the School Board honored Hugo’s community service by naming an elementary school for him. Hugo was involved in numerous community & civic organizations, as presidents of The Tampa Chamber of Commerce, The Committee of One Hundred and The Exchange Club of Tampa. He also served on the boards of The Prison Crusade Ministries, The Tampa Philharmonic Association, The University of Tampa Board of Directors and The University of South Florida, Research & Development Committee. Hugo was actively involved in his church, Hyde Park United Methodist. He served on all administrative boards and on every building committee until his health declined. In addition he taught Bible study and Sunday school. He was active with his sons in the Boy Scouts and enjoyed many tennis matches with his friends. In addition to his many activities he loved to read. He is survived by his wife, Louise, his four children, twelve grandchildren and fifteen greatgrandchildren. A memorial service will be held at 10 am, on Saturday March 16 at Hyde Park United Methodist Church, Tampa. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Hyde Park United Methodist Building Fund Endowment or the charity of your choice.