John Carlton Schmidt

John C. Schmidt M.D., of Yorba Linda, California, beloved father, grandfather and physician, passed away peacefully on July 1st, 2021, six days before his 92nd birthday. He had been in declining health over several months prior to his passing. John Carlton Schmidt was born July 7th, 1929 (90 days before the start of the Great Depression) in Cissna Park, Illinois. The youngest of 7 children, John’s father died tragically when he was four years old, and his mother died when he was 12 years old. He was then parented by his six older siblings and extended family in Cissna Park, with junior high years spent with a sister in California. He returned to Cissna Park for high school, where he thrived as a standout player on the championship basketball team. He met the love of his life, Barbara Jean Crawford, of Milford, just 11 miles away from Cissna Park. John studied biology at the University of Illinois, graduated in 1951, and married Barbara as soon as he was accepted to the University of Illinois School of Medicine in Chicago. They married June 23rd, 1951, in Milford. After graduating from medical school in 1955, John & Barb moved to San Bernardino CA, for his internship, followed by enlistment in the Navy where he was a doctor for six ships in the Pacific. After 9 months of practice in Wisconsin, an old pre-med friend reached out about the need for a family physician in Yorba Linda, CA. John & Barb packed their bags and headed West. He started his YL practice in 1959, and eventually grew the Yorba Linda Medical Group to 18 doctors, including son, Tim. He performed a key leadership role in founding Placentia-Linda Community Hospital, and was its first Chief of Staff.
John & Barb were among the first generation of families of a little church plant in Fullerton called Eastside Christian Church, and served
in many capacities over the years, especially in leadership, Bible teaching and missions. Dr. Schmidt was preceded in death by his beloved wife, Barbara, on June 10th, 2010. He is survived by three sons: Timothy Stuart (wife Karen), John Carlton Jr. (wife Cathy), and James Maxwell (wife Karen); eight grandchildren, and eleven great-grandchildren. He is interred at Riverside National Cemetery