Torsten Schmidt

Torsten Schmidt died in Lee, NH on May 12th, 2022 at the age of 60. Torsten was a loving husband, father, brother, uncle, and son. He is survived by his wife of 35 years, Amy (née Simonoff); his three children, Rachel and partner John Gardner-Morse, Naomi and husband Theo Onigbinde, and Hannah; mother and stepfather, Brigitte and Peter Köppen; his four siblings, Rainer Schmidt and wife Apirom Kongeirat, Henning Schmidt and partner Azita Khodkam, Wiebke Schmidt, and Ulrike Toma and husband Henry; stepbrother Andreas Köppen and partner Tanja Leuschner; and many nieces and nephews. Torsten was predeceased by his father, Lothar Schmidt.
Torsten was born in Lübeck, Germany in 1961. He was raised in Timmendorfer Strand, a beach town on the Baltic Sea. Torsten studied at the University of Hamburg and the University of Bamberg in Germany until 1983, when he won a Fulbright and moved to Gainesville, Florida to earn a PhD in economics at the University of Florida. It was there that he met Amy. The two of them fell in love, and Torsten decided to stay in the United States. He became a U.S. citizen in 1994.
In 1988, Torsten was offered a professorship at the University of New Hampshire, where he taught microeconomics for 29 years and published in the area of the history of economic thought until 2016.
Torsten was a talented and avid photographer. He was a member of the Seacoast Camera Club. Torsten especially loved photographing sunsets, flowers, his cats, and most of all, his family. He leaves behind over 100,000 beautiful photographs.
Torsten was also a lover of nature, often pulling the car over to take in the beauty of scenic views. He enjoyed canoeing and kayaking with Rachel, Naomi, and Hannah in Pawtuckaway Lake. Torsten lived near an ocean for his whole life. He particularly loved spending summer days in the cold Atlantic water at Ogunquit.
In 2018, Torsten was diagnosed with multiple myeloma. For nearly four years, he tried every treatment he could to get a reprieve from the disease, but it was relentless. Without fail, Torsten approached treatments and pain with admirable bravery and strength. He died at home with family, surrounded by love.
Visiting hours will be held Wednesday May 18 from 5-7pm at Purdy Memorial Chapel, 2 Concord Rd in Lee. A funeral is scheduled at Purdy Memorial Chapel in Lee, NH at 11am on Thursday, May 19th. All are welcome to come to celebrate Torsten's life. The service will be livestreamed. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made in Torsten's memory to the International Myeloma Foundation (myeloma.org) or Doctors Without Borders (msf.org).