Dr. Benjamin Schmidt Obituary

We are sad to tell you Dr. Benjamin Schmidt passed away on Monday (September 7). Dr. Schmidt had been the medical director for the fire service program at Madison Area Technical College since 1996.

Here is his obituary (courtesy of the Watertown Daily Times).

Benjamin Schmidt

WATERLOO - Dr. Benjamin T. Schmidt, 48, of Waterloo, passed away on Monday, Sept. 7, 2009, following an accident at his home. Dr. Schmidt was born on Dec. 5, 1960, in Boone County, Ill., the son of Benjamin “Teddy” and Jane (Hopkins) Schmidt. He moved with his family to the Sandy Knoll farm, rural Waterloo, in 1968 and was always an immense help to his family and their dairy operation. He graduated from St. John's Lutheran Elementary School in Waterloo and was a 1979 graduate of Waterloo High School. He went on to graduate from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater in 1983. Ben was a graduate from the Medical College of Wisconsin in 1988 and completed his general surgery internship in 1989 in Milwaukee and family practice residency in 1992 in Madison. He started his Waterloo practice in 1992.

Dr. Schmidt was a member of the AOA Honor Society, AMA and American Association of Family Practitioners. He was the Waterloo Fireman of the Year in 1997 and received the fire department's Dedicated Service Award in 2001. He has received AMA Physicians Recognition awards every year since 1996. He served as the medical director of the Waterloo Fire and EMS and was medical director for the fire service program at MATC since 1996. He was on the medical staff of Watertown Regional Medical Center and Columbus Community Hospital. He attended the Waterloo United Methodist Church.

Ben loved medicine, the Waterloo Fire Department, golf, avid Packer fan and farming.

Dr. Schmidt was an iconoclast and had a tremendous philosophy about life.

He married Marlys Knowles on July 7, 1984, at Waterloo United Methodist Church.

Survivors include his wife, Marlys Schmidt of Waterloo; three children, Ted (fiancee Brianna) Schmidt, Mindy (Andy) Crave and Missy Schmidt, all of Waterloo; his mother, Jane (Robert) Mrochinski of Pahrump, Nev.; a sister, Rebecca (Rick) Abendroth of Waterloo; his father- and mother-in-law, William and Marilyn Knowles of Watertown; also survived by aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.

He was preceded in death by his father and a sister, Sarah.

Memorials to Waterloo Fire and EMS Supporters, Inc. would be appreciated.

A private family service will be held on Friday at the Waterloo United Methodist Church with the Rev. Markus Wegenast officiating.

The Pederson Funeral Home of Watertown is caring for the family.