Cornelia Johanna Schmidt-Tom

1934 - 2020

January 28, 1934 - May 14, 2020 Cornelia "Corrie" Johanna Schmidt-Tom was born in Arnhem, The Netherlands on January 28, 1934 and died of natural causes in Fresno, California on May 14, 2020. Corrie is the daughter of Tjimkje and Anton Tom. She is survived by her adoring and devoted husband of 64 years, Maarten Schmidt, her sister Pim and husband Jan; her three children Elizabeth and husband Rick, Marijke and husband Dave, and Anne and husband Roger; her four grandchildren, Andrew and wife Katrina, Alyssa and husband Johny, Matt and wife Mel, and Madeleine; and her 4 great grandchildren, Aletta, Avery, Amelia and Anna. Corrie grew up in Holland. During WWII her family lived near Haarlem, where at young age she experienced such things as bombings and neighborhood house searches by the Nazis. She often reflected back on these times. Her experiences during the war included that they ate tulip bulbs during the hunger winter, that her father listened to BBC radio news on a hidden non-confiscated radio and then gave information in notes to the children to pass on to neighbors, and that her father helped Jews get out of Holland. She also stood up to a Nazi soldier while she and her brother were out to get food for the family. These experiences contributed to shaping her as a strong, independent woman, traits that Corrie passed on to her daughters. She went on to study education to become a nursery school teacher at the Haanstra Kweekschool in Leiden. While in Leiden, she met Maarten at a Leiden University party. They married in 1955. Corrie and Maarten moved to Pasadena, CA where Maarten pursued a career in Astronomy at Caltech. While devoting herself to her family after the birth of three children, she also pursued her passion for creating abstract fiber art. Corrie became an accomplished artist. She had two one-woman shows in the Los Angeles area and won awards for her artwork. She taught art classes to a loyal following and enjoyed seeing the creative side of others blossom. She found inspiration for her art by visiting with her mentor and fellow artists Jan de Swart and his wife Ursula. Corrie also enjoyed knitting and cross-stitch, and had a passion for solving crossword puzzles. At the height of Maarten's career in Astronomy, Corrie frequently hosted and attended dinner parties, which included luminaries of the time: Erik Hazelhoff Roelfzema, William Fowler, Richard Feynman, Sir Fred Hoyle, and Harold Brown. She enjoyed traveling with Maarten to places around the world such as India, Russia, China, Chile, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Norway, and Hawaii but was especially fond of returning to The Netherlands. Her love for young children gave her particular joy, especially seeing her grandchildren and great-grandchildren as they grew up. A private memorial service is planned. Condolences may be sent to the family at SchmidtTomFamilie@gmail.com