Frank Allen Schmidtlein

1932 - 2021

Frank Allen Schmidtlein
Frank Allen Schmidtlein, age 88, passed away in Santa Rosa on April 13, 2021. He was born in 1932, a son of Frank and Susan Grace Schmidtlein. He is survived by his longtime partner, Susan White, her son, Jeffrey; Frank's two children, Charles Ross (Marlina) Schmidtlein, and Jill (Stefan) Zechowy; step children, Susan (Alden) Milton, and David (Jenny) Milton; grandchildren, Mia, David, and Maxwell; three sisters, Grace Wetter, Jessie (Carl) Poston, and Laura (Edward) Krieger; a cousin, Eleanor (Bill) Miller; and many loved nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his first wife, Patricia Jane Sidford; his second wife, Toby Milton; and a brother in law, Boyd Wetter.
Frank was brought up on the family cattle ranch in the Smokey Valley of Nevada. He was a true cowboy, and by the age of ten he had traveled more miles on horseback than by car. At the ranch he attended a one room schoolhouse taught by his mother, Grace. It was not an easy life, but together with his three sisters he had much freedom and many adventures that he loved to recall. His mother's influence led him to become an intellectually curious, lifelong learner and a champion of education for all.
At the urging of his mother, the family moved to Washington state so he and his sisters could get a better education. There he lived in a converted chicken coop until he graduated from Battle Ground High School in 1950. Sadly, just after graduation his family's house burned down and he lost his graduation present, his first wrist watch. He went on to attend Kansas State University, his mother's alma mater, and graduated in 1954. He spent several years in the US Air Force and obtained the rank of Captain. Years later he obtained his pilot's license.
Beginning in 1957 he worked for several agencies in the Federal Government including the Office of Education and the National Endowment for the Humanities. While in Washington DC, he met a young woman from England, named Patricia Jane Sidford, whom he pursued and convinced to marry him. They had two children, Ross and Jill. Frank then obtained his PhD in Higher Education from the University of California, Berkeley in 1976. Frank was married to Patricia until her passing in 1987.
In 1976 he and his family moved to Maryland to work for the Maryland State Board of Higher Education. Later he joined the faculty of the University of Maryland, College Park in the Department of Education where he eventually served as the Department Chair until retiring in 2001. While there he received a large grant to create a research center for Higher Education. He published extensively and consulted both nationally and abroad on higher education policy. After his first wife passed, he married Toby Milton in 1989. They enjoyed skiing and traveling until her passing in 2001.
A few years later he found a new long-term partner, Susan White. Together they closely followed contemporary events, were avid hikers and traveled together extensively, each having visited over 100 nations and all 50 states. They spent their summers in Truckee, California and winters in Peoria, Arizona until he moved to Santa Rosa to live close to his daughter, Jill.
Frank lived a very full life and was a kind and caring person, who loved to tell stories and jokes. He will be greatly missed by his friends and family.
Memorial services will take place at a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Cure Alzheimer's Fund www.curealz.org.