Joseph M. Schmitt Jr.

1942 - 2013

ANGELICA - Joseph M. Schmitt Jr. went to be home with his Lord Jesus Christ (Monday, Oct. 28, 2013), while visiting his old home in Springwater. He was a faithful Christian, husband, father, grandfather, Marine and judge. 
He was born in Rochester, March 19, 1942. He served our country in the U.S. Marine Corps in the early 1960s in Cuba, Okinawa, Japan, Taiwan, China and the Philippines. As he would remind us, "Once a marine, always a marine." Semper Fi.
He was trained as an apprentice and then worked for many years as a draftsman and part owner of Young's Wrought Ironworks in Rochester, settling his family on 42 acres in Springwater, where he and his first wife JoAnne raised their two children, Naomi and Garett. In the 1980s he started his own business, Wayland Fleet Service in nearby Wayland. He then began Joe Schmitt Detailing and found his drafting skills for wrought ironwork were highly sought after from clients in and out of New York. He was involved in serving his community through Scouting, the volunteer ambulance service, the fire department and was a first-aid instructor. In his church at that time, Italy Naples Baptist, he served as Sunday school teacher and deacon. 
After the death of his wife to cancer, he married Marlee Hand, who had also lost her husband to cancer, and moved to Angelica. He was elected and served as judge there from 2002 to 2007. He continued his drafting services on a limited basis.    
As a judge, he understood that there are laws of the universe as well as of men and that there is a ruling Lawmaker and Judge to whom all will be accountable one day.  
As a marine, he understood that all it takes for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing. But one marine can make a very large difference in being the arm of justice and judgment on those who seek to do evil. 
As a draftsman, who both made and worked with blueprints for metal and structures, he understood there was not only sophisticated design all throughout nature but clear evidence that meant there has to be a Designer behind it all. Romans 1:20.   
On one joyous day in 1976, Joe bowed his head and surrendered his life to the Judge of all, Jesus Christ, sought and received forgiveness for all his sins and yielded control of his life to Him. John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." On Monday morning (Oct. 28, 2013) Joe went to be with Jesus Christ in heaven, according to the scriptures which say of believers "absent from the body is to be present with the Lord."
Joe was predeceased by his father, Joseph Maximilian Schmitt Sr.; his mother, Evelyn (Reed) Schmitt; his aunt and uncle, Jean and Roy Reed, who raised him; his mother- and father-in-law, Frances and Gerard Young; and his first wife, JoAnne (Young) Schmitt. 
He is survived by his daughter and son-in-law, Pastor Roger and Mrs. Naomi Richards, their son and daughter-in-law and seven grandchildren; his son and daughter-in-law, Garrett and Maria Schmitt and six grandchildren; and many great-grandchildren from both children. He is also survived by his second wife, Marlee (Hand)(Schneider) Schmitt; her daughter and son-in-law, Tammy and Brian Davis; and four grandchildren. Donations in memorial can be made to Angelica Baptist Church, P.O. Box 357, Angelica, NY.
To send a remembrance please visit www.brownandpowersfuneralhome.com
Viewings are from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. Thursday, with the funeral service at 11 a.m. Friday (Nov. 1, 2013) at the Brown and Powers Funeral Home, 101 West Ave., Angelica, NY 14709, with Pastor David Ford of Angelica Baptist Church officiating. Interment will follow at the Forest Hills Cemetery in Belmont.