On Thursday, Sept 15, 2022, Roderic "Rick" Wm. Schmidt Jr., loving husband and father passed away at the age of 83.

Rick was born on February 14, 1939, to Phyllis and Roderic Schmidt in Southern California. He was the second of five children. He graduated from San Gabriel Mission High School and entered the Army, becoming a Remington Raider, where he saw the creation of the Berlin Wall. Upon returning stateside, he attended Whittier College, earning a Master's Degree in English and continued on to achieve his Teaching Credential.

While there he met and married Barbara Pettijohn, and together they settled in Lompoc, California, raising their two sons Kurt and Daniel. Rick began his four decades of teaching at Cabrillo High School, sharing his "pearls of wisdom." His passion and enthusiasm for learning, infectious sense of humor and quick wit made him a favorite with staff and students. He also coached soccer and tennis teams, and mentored the school radio station ROC in the 70's.

He initiated and master-minded the Senior Project Program with Suzie Hicks, which helped Cabrillo become a Distinguished School in California. He and Bob Lawrence served as Senior Class Advisors for many years. He was awarded the Cabrillo High School Golden Lion award and inducted into the Lompoc Unified School District Hall of Fame where a plaque remains in his honor.

After retiring from teaching at Cabrillo in 2001, he continued teaching at Allan Hancock College for the next 10 years. He also began his second career as a writer, penning eight books: Hermanos, Toby in Five Acts, Out of Bodie, What Goes Around, Agnes of Harris Grade, Where Darkness Reigns, Battlefields and Gaviota Beginnings .

He instilled a love of nature in his family and he especially loved the Eastern Sierra, particularly Virginia Lakes, maintaining a family cabin where summers were spent fishing and hiking. He and Barbara also loved to travel to Paris, rent an apartment and live abroad for months at a time.

He leaves behind his wife of 57 years, Barbara Schmidt, sons and daughters-in-law, Kurt and Julie, Dan and Kim, and five grandchildren, Zach, Conner, Ellie, Ginny and Paige. He also is survived by sisters, Julie Cudworth and Kathy Durfee and multitudes of nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, and brothers Mike and Ben.

The family wishes to thank Dr. Chris Lumsdaine and the Hospice Care team for their support over the past few months. Also, the family will be hosting a Celebration of Life at the Elks Lodge on Sunday, October 16 ^th from 1-4 pm. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Vandenberg Village Library, AYSO or Santa Barbara Food Bank. As he would have said, "Later, Buckaroos!"

"There are some who bring a light, so great to the world, that even after they have gone, the light remains."