David Alan Schmidt

David "Dave" Alan Schmidt, of Marlton, New Jersey, passed away peacefully on March 12, 2026, surrounded by his family. He was 65.

All are invited to attend a Celebration of Life for Dave on March 28 at Wiley Church, 101 E. Main Street, Marlton, NJ. There will be Visitation at Wiley Church from 10 a.m. to noon. The Memorial Service will begin at noon. There will be a luncheon in the Wiley Gymnasium immediately following the Memorial Service.

Dave was a loving, dedicated and loyal family man who was known for showing up for everyone in life. He loved to be around people and was always willing to help-whether through his innate ability to fix almost anything, being a constant presence for his parents on difficult days, or sharing his quick wit with a smile on his face (especially after he got his new teeth). Dave never seemed to have a bad day, even in the face of battling a very aggressive type of brain cancer over many years and, more recently, being diagnosed with esophageal cancer.

The fearlessness required through such adversity developed young. Dave started to walk earlier than his older siblings and rode a 26-inch bicycle without training wheels at the age of four. His adventurous nature also mixed early with his love of vehicles: One day, he climbed into the family car, shifted it into reverse, and rolled into the street pretending to drive until someone realized what had happened.

A particularly smiley and devilishly curious kid who was described by his parents as a "pistol," Dave liked to get into mischief with his siblings and irritate his sisters, and he was never one to back down from a challenge. He also was strong and athletic. Dave and his brother played together in the first-ever Cinnaminson soccer league with their Dad as coach and, on the baseball team, Dave was a catcher who led the league in home runs. As he grew older, Dave became a frequent visitor to the office of the vice principal for discipline. But he also developed a strong work ethic, collecting merit badges as a decorated Boy Scout and earning money through various jobs, becoming a caddy at the Riverton Country Club as soon as he was allowed.

Throughout his adult years, Dave was an excellent provider to his children, Jaime and Kyle. He instilled in them his values of hard work, dedication and resiliency mixed with the importance of maintaining a sense of humor and a smile. He was a member of the U.S. Army Reserve, Private Second Class, and an auto mechanic at Romano's Service Station in Moorestown. There, he met his wife, Teresa, when she brought her car in for service one day.

They married in October 1990 and built a happy home, enjoying time together, watching sports and hosting family gatherings in their backyard. Dave spent the majority of his career, for 29 years, driving a big bucket truck as a facilities technician for Verizon (previously Bell Telephone) and was a member of IBEW 827. With his retirement imminent, he and Teresa talked about buying an RV (mostly for Dave) to drive West. Dave also was a member of Wiley Church and was baptized there in 2004.

Dave's passions were simple yet fulfilling. He enjoyed doing everything while at the same time doing nothing. He was known as a jokester-and sometimes took those jokes to the extreme. He liked to putz around and occupy himself with odd jobs, pulling out various tools to fix something like a snowblower; or relax watching "Building Off the Grid" on the Discovery Channel; or clip coupons for the grocery store. He was so low maintenance that, when he received a laptop from Teresa as a gift, it was really just an expensive deck of cards, as he used it only to play Solitaire (to Teresa's exasperation). As a grandfather and great-grandfather, he had a knack for connecting with kids-perhaps because his goofiness made him just a big kid himself-and was a natural protector. Dave's positive outlook, humor, and the way he could still smile through difficult times leave a lasting imprint on those who were fortunate to know him.

Dave is survived by his wife Teresa E. (Roswell) Schmidt; daughter Jaime L. Farrell (Chad); son Kyle R. Schmidt (Rebecca); brother William J. Schmidt (Connie); sisters Dori Audette and Kristine Schmidt; grandchildren Dominic Arizzi (Gabby), Amanda Arizzi, Ashley Farrell, and Kennedy Schmidt; great-granddaughter Rayleigh Arizzi; and numerous in-laws, nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles, and cousins.

He was predeceased by his parents William A. Schmidt and Doris M. (Mellon) Schmidt.

Arrangements are being handled by Mount Laurel Home for Funerals in Mt. Laurel, NJ. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests that donations may be made to a charity of your choice, or to Wiley Church, 101 E. Main Street, Marlton, NJ 08053.