Rebecca Schmidt

1950 - 2026

Rebecca Schmidt was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota on September 29, 1950, and died on January 7, 2026, in Memphis, TN.

She lived in California, Kenya, Iowa, Massachusetts, Germany, Knoxville, and Memphis. Her parents were Winston and Alice Malmquist, both deceased. Winston was a research veterinarian in Kenya, Africa where Becky lived as a child. Alice was a homemaker and hostess for the many international students they met throughout Becky's years in Ames, Iowa. This led to Becky's passion for missions, international students, and Christian organizations in her formative years.

Becky attended Trinity College in Deerfield, Illinois. Transferring to Iowa State, she majored in Food and Nutrition. She joined the United States Army and served for 4 years. As a Sergeant, she was an unlikely spy and German linguist, who stole East German Army radio signals for the National Security Agency. Her work for the US government remains classified. After her stint in the military, she received a master's degree at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. She worked at Baptist Memorial Hospital in Memphis for 26 years as a dietician.

A voracious reader, she volunteered in the church library for years. Her passion for foreign missions led her to be a fixture on the Missions Committee at Second Presbyterian Church. A faithful believer in Jesus Christ, she is now safely home in the arms of her Redeemer after a brief battle with pancreatic cancer.

She leaves behind one younger sister, Susan Cavender and her husband, Vic Cavender of Odessa, Missouri.

Visitation will be at 10 am on Friday, January 30, 2026, followed by a memorial service at 11am in the chapel of Second Presbyterian Church.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to "International Students, Inc." or "Christian Aid Missions", two of Becky's favorite organizations.