Obituary of Sheldon Severin Schmidt

Sheldon Schmidt, passed away on 6/21/2016. A proud WWII veteran where, as a tech sergeant, he led the 303rd Anti-Tank Company in the 97th Infantry Division. He served in both the European and Pacific theaters. He was the 4th born in a family of 5 in 1920 and grew up in Gresham and Shawano Wisconsin. Married during the war, he and his first wife Florence Wescott had a daughter Theresa, born while he served overseas. Florence passed away 3 years later from auto immune disease. He remarried to Florabel, moved to Springfield Virginia and raised his family that added two sons, Scott and Randall. Sheldon retired in 1980 after 30 years of service to the Federal Government spanning Department of Commerce, Air Force Intelligence, the Executive Office of Emergency Preparedness and the Institute for Defense Analysis – Weapons Systems Evaluation Group (WSEG). As his focus was on the nuclear war threat, he became an expert in the Soviet economy initially assessing their market for non-ferrous metals and later guiding U2 reconnaissance flights detecting communist missile production. Sheldon earned a BS in Economics from the University of Wisconsin and studied for his Masters at American University. He and his wife Florabel were avid sailors. After a decade of sailing in the Chesapeake, they sailed from Annapolis to Cape Coral Florida, lived aboard a 30-foot sloop for a year then enjoyed 25 years of retirement in Florida. They then returned to Northern Virginia in 2008. Sheldon is survived by his younger sister Virgie, three children, five grandchildren and five great grandchildren. Sheldon had a zest for life and always advised to make the time to enjoy every day. In lieu of flowers the family is asking that donations be made in his honor to either the wounded Warrior Project or Fisher House. Please select the donation link on this page. A funeral service will be held 10 a.m., Thursday, July 21, at Adams-Green Funeral Home, 721 Elden St., Herndon, VA followed by interment with Military Honors at Quantico National Cemetery, Triagle, VA at 2 p.m. For additional information and directions please select the service information tab on this page.