Stephen Alton Schmidt

Stephen Alton Schmidt passed away March 4, 2023, with his wife of 40 years and two children by his side. He was 66 years old. A newspaperman to his final days, much of what appears below was written by him.

Steve was born December 8, 1956, in St. Joseph, Missouri — home of the Pony Express and where Jesse James was shot in the back.

Steve moved to Lakeland, FL, with his parents Alton and Frances Schmidt in 1967. He attended Lime Street Elementary, Crystal Lake Junior High, and Lakeland High School, where he was a 3-year letterman in basketball. After graduating in 1975, he attended Polk Community College before transferring to the University of Florida where he graduated with a degree in advertising and a minor in marketing.

Upon college graduation, he joined The Ledger advertising department as a sales executive.

While working at the Ledger, he met his wife-to-be, Cheryl Nordby, at the office Christmas party in 1980. After their marriage in 1982, they had a son, Eric, in 1985 and a daughter, Katelyn, in 1989. As a family, they loved to travel, attend Gator games, snow ski, and visit Anna Maria Island, where Steve and Cheryl lived from 2009 to 2015.

Steve would rise to the ranks of Advertising Director at The Ledger and Publisher at the Times Daily in Florence, AL, both New York Times affiliated newspapers. He was later called upon to conceptualize and launch Better Living magazine in Sarasota, FL, for the New York Times.

Steve is survived by his wife Cheryl; daughter Katie Schmidt of Wilmington, NC, son Eric Schmidt and daughter-in-law, Johanna Miller of New York City; sister Sandra (Dave) Harris of Bayside, WI; sisters-in-law Tina Schmidt of Lakeland, FL and Susan Diskin of St. Augustine, FL; brothers-in-law Richard John (Sela) Nordby of Mesa, AZ and Jim Kunburger of Marietta, GA; and numerous nieces, nephews, great-nieces, great-nephews, and lifelong friends. He was preceded in death by his parents and his siblings Doug Schmidt and Kathryn Schmidt Jerrell.

In lieu of flowers the family is requesting donations to the Pace Center for Girls - Polk, 213 Tyler Ave., Lakeland, FL 33801, or the cancer research organization of your choice.

A celebration of life will be held at the Magnolia Building at 702 East Orange Street, Lakeland, on March 22, 2023,  at 4 p.m. The family asks attendees RSVP at everloved.com/life-of/steve-schmidt.