Robert Joseph Schmidt peacefully passed away on 17 February 2026 in Colorado Springs, CO.

Bob was born on 7 February 1937 in Essex, MD to Joseph and Catherine Schmidt, the eighth of their ten children. In 1958, after holding several jobs and working for Bethlehem Steel in Essex, he enlisted in the U.S. Air Force, proudly serving his country for nearly 21 years before retiring in Colorado Springs.

On 13 July 1963, he married Beverly Ann Hazen in Wenatchee, WA. After military retirement, he worked for Digital Equipment Corp. in their field service library for nearly 18 years. He enjoyed traveling with Bev, playing cards, making yearly Christmas marshmallow fudge, and had a lifelong love of ice cream. As a Baltimore native, Bob, affectionately known as Poppy, was a devout Baltimore Orioles fan, making baseball bets with his grandson, Kyle.

He was preceded in death by his parents, three brothers and six sisters.

He is survived by his wife, Bev; daughters Theresa (Bob) Mulligan and Felicia Bowen; grandchildren Kyle (Samantha) Bowen, Kirstin (Jared) Wood, Joshua (Danielle) Mulligan, Rebecca (Justin) Armstrong; great-grandsons A.J. Wilson, Aidan Mulligan, Gavin Mulligan, step-great-grandson Aayden LaLonde; and many nieces and nephews. He was excited for the imminent debut of his great-granddaughter, Isla Violet Bowen.

Services with military honors will be at Memorial Gardens Cemetery in Colorado Springs.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Mt. Carmel Veterans Service Center (https://www.veteranscenter.org/) or the Pikes Peak Hospice Foundation (https://pikespeakhospice.org/donate-today).