Donald Schmied
Cousins Diana, Lori, and Joanna, On hearing of your father Ron’s death I first saddened by the news, yet what quickly followed was the realization that now he and Joan, who had shared so much of their lives, will soon be reunited-and after but a short separation. Providence in practice.I had not seen nor spoken with Ron in a number of years, but one of the last times we were together was shortly after my father Walter’s funeral (his older brother). At the time Ron related to me a few incidents from when he and Walter were young, ones which gave me a glimpse of my own father I would never otherwise have had, that of a protective big brother-including during some turbulent times at home. I thank Ron once again for passing along this knowledge.What is remarkable to me is that while Ron’s path in life-and in work diverged considerably from that of his father for many years, (and from that of my father also), in later life it became possible to detect (albeit not easily at times) commonality of certain personality traits among them-in spite of their being, to differing degrees, private men.One example. In spite of the much earlier unpleasantness, as Ron’s mother Ethyl’s health declined, and Ron’s father Helmuth became her ever more tasked caregiver, he and Ron, (and after Helmuth’s death, Ron and Joan) were able to work towards a common purpose, that of helping to ease Ethyl‘s life during her increasing disabilities-until her death.Later, as Ron became Joan’s primary caregiver, doing so likely helped hasten his own decline in health, similarly to what had happened with his own father. Both of these men, giving without reserve of themselves, out of love for their lifelong companions. Ultimately, both demonstrably loving men-even to an infrequent visitor such as myself. Evidently its still a we-practiced old world trait, the tendency for us males towards too often making light of (if not outright ignoring) our own health in favor of those close to us.For his children and grandchildren, other relatives, and friends of all kinds, may the love of and for this man and the many personal memories associated with him as that increasingly endangered beast-a good Husband, father, Grandfather, Friend and Person, remain long after the recognition of his notable scholastic and many workplace achievements fade.Don Schmied