Gary Louis Schmidt 79, of Riverton, died at 8:18 am, Wednesday, November 12, 2025, at Springfield Memorial Hospital. He was born November 19, 1945, in Pana, IL, to Theodore and Ruth Kuhn Schmidt. He married Barbara Beyers on November 26, 1966, and she survives.
Also surviving are two daughters, Sheri (Marty) Scanlan of Springfield, IL and Chris (Greg) Sabin of Dawson, IL; three grandchildren, Tyler (Kerby) Scanlan, Connor Scanlan and Makanna Sabin; one great grandchild, Tiger Scanlan; two sisters, Claudia (Gary) Oller of Tower Hill, IL and Rosemary Stretch of Shelbyville, IL; one sister-in-law, Nancy Schmidt of Quincy, IL and several nieces, nephews, and cousins.
He was preceded in death by his parents and brother Jim Schmidt.
Gary was a resident of Springfield for most of his life.
He was a US Army Veteran serving from 1963-1966. He served in Thailand for a year and received an Honorable Discharge in 1966.
Gary worked construction for approximately thirty years and then worked as a Meat & Poultry Inspector for the State of Illinois, Department of Agriculture from August 1997 – August 2012. He was a member of St. Joseph Church where he served as Eucharistic Minister, Usher and Greeter.
Gary joined the Knights of Columbus in 1985 as a third-degree knight and became a fourth-degree knight in 1986. He went on to fill various roles in the organization, the highest being the State Warden. He was a member of Catholic War Veterans, Post 1916 in Springfield and a member of the American Legion Post 32 in Springfield. He had a lifelong passion for Arabian horses and was as former member and officer of the Sangamon County Sheriff’s Auxiliary Mounted Unit and the Springfield Crappie Club.
Visitation: 4:00 p.m.-7:00 p.m., Thursday, November 20, 2025, at Staab Funeral Home – Springfield, with a prayer service at 3:45 pm.
Funeral Service: 11:00 a.m., Friday, November 21, 2025, at St. Joseph Catholic Church, with Reverend Manuel P. Cuizon officiating. Burial will follow at Camp Butler National Cemetery, where military honors will be conducted.
In lieu of flowers memorial contributions may be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
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