Grace Lorraine Schmidt

1940 - 2023

Grace Lorraine Schmidt
06/06/1940 - 03/30/2023
Grace Lorraine Schmidt passed away in Walnut Creek on March 30, 2023 after a long illness. Grace was born a 5th generation Bay Area Californian, to parents Charles and Louise (Pethoud) Triebel, in Oakland. She grew up in El Cerrito, later moved to Oakland and graduated from Oakland Technical High School. Grace earned her BA and MSW degrees from UC Berkeley, and was a life-long Cal Bears rooter.
Grace is remembered for her easy laugh, outgoing charm and lively conversation. A gifted writer, Grace delighted her friends with birthday greetings in verse, wrote plays for her own pleasure, and published several newspaper pieces about moving and the vagaries of home construction. Enthusiastic about cuisine, classic movies, politics, music and literature, she was the perfect party hostess. With husband Smitty, their Alamo home became the gathering place for Cal Big Game dinners, holidays, community planning, birthday celebrations, and so much more.
Grace and Smitty were married for 55 years, and during his tenure with IBM, she moved around the United States and to various countries throughout the world. Their 2-½ years in Europe redefined Grace in terms of personal growth and artistic development. She spoke fondly of how she was enriched by many personal relationships and experiences. A Francophile thanks to longtime residency, she found a home in French culture and taste.
Grace was an accomplished professional. Leveraging her masters degree in community organization while navigating Smitty's career relocations, Grace was able to create a successful career in politics supporting county, state, and congressional elected officials. Her ever present sense of humor and organization shills led to positions as aide to AZ governor Bruce Babbitt; US representative from AZ, Morris Udall; and US representative from CA, Ellen Tauscher. Since 1985 with Grace and Smitty's move to Alamo, CA, Grace was a tireless contributor to her community, actively involved with the Alamo Improvement Association (AIA). In 2008, had the local measure to incorporate Alamo passed, she would have been elected mayor having received the most votes.
Grace is survived by her devoted husband Smitty Schmidt and her loving sister Suzanne Stuart. Grace was a caring and affectionate aunt to Rick Stuart and Jennifer Stuart and adoring great aunt to Molly, Michael and Jillian. On April 12, 2023, Grace was laid to rest at Sacramento Valley National Cemetery. Her headstone reads 'Grace Lorraine Schmidt: A Woman of Beauty, Passion, and Intellect.'
Donations in Grace's memory may be made to OTTP-SF, a non-profit organization serving Bay Area youth, www.ottp-sf.org; or New Day for Children, P.O. Box 439, Alamo, CA 94507 www.newdayforchildren.com.