Lilas Schmidt

Lilas Schmidt, 99, of Gillette, NJ, passed away peacefully on October 31, 2025.
Born in Multnomah, Oregon on October 21, 1926, Lilas was the daughter of Wilhemina (née Mohr) and Arthur Stewart. She grew up in Oregon and graduated from Lincoln High School in Portland. After graduation and while still a teenager, she traveled to Gillette, New Jersey, to visit family, a visit that would shape the rest of her life. Gillette became her beloved home for the next 82 years.
Lilas married Charles Schmidt, her devoted husband for 72 years, and together they raised their family in Gillette. For more than 40 years, they proudly owned and operated Suburban Radio and Television in Stirling, NJ.
Lilas and Charlie shared a love of adventure, enjoying cross-country travel, memorable camping trips with their children, and later, traveling around the world. Lilas was supremely gifted as a seamstress, helping friends with sewing projects and alterations. A voracious reader, Lilas usually read two or three books in a single week and was an active member of the Long Hill Book Club.
Music held a special place in her heart. Lilas was a passionate singer and long-time member of the Hickory Tree Chorus, Sweet Adelines International, where she sang for over 50 years. She also dedicated her time to her community as a volunteer with the Morris County Girl Scouts, the American Red Cross, and the town election board, working at the polls. Her civic spirit shone brightly in her efforts to establish the town recycling center and to help prevent a massive jetport from being built in the 1960s at the current site of the Great Swamp wildlife refuge.
Lilas was predeceased by her beloved husband, Charles Schmidt; their infant son, Kenneth Schmidt; and her seven siblings. She is survived by her loving daughters, Carolyn Schmidt and her husband Dan Kahn, and Kristine Hartwell and her husband Peter. She was the cherished grandmother of Andrea Kahn, Lauren Kahn, Julie Hartwell, and Tyler Hartwell.
A private graveside service was held at Somerset Hills Memorial Park. A celebration of Lilas's life will be held for family and friends at a future date. Arrangements are under the direction of Paul Ippolito Berkeley Memorial.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Lilas's memory to:
Long Hill First Aid Squad, P.O. Box 145, Gillette, NJ 07933
and/or
Long Hill Township Library, 917 Valley Rd., Gillette, NJ 07933.