Stella H. Schmidt (Cimuchowski)

Stella H. Schmidt (Cimuchowski), age 93 of Grand Rapids, passed away peacefully in her sleep Wednesday May 24, 2023, after a short battle with cancer. She was preceded in death by her husband, Thomas, and her beloved daughter, Cathy. Surviving are: her son Michael (Laurie); her grandsons Tyler (Karlie Tonneberger) and Tanner (Maddie Cook); and very special friends Kim and Steve Smith, Eric and Eleanor Hermann, and Michael Belcher. Stella so loved her family-and life! She was the original Energizer Bunny with her multitude of travel, trips, sporting events, and she was always on the go-right up until her 90’s! She never missed any of her children’s events when they were growing up. She was also, of course, always in attendance for anything that involved her beloved two grandsons, Tyler and Tanner, who brought her so much joy! Even if it was snowing in October, she sat and watched every play of Tanner’s football games, or snowing in March, she stayed for every inning of Tyler’s baseball games, as well as many travel tournaments she could get to! One of her favorite things to do was to take her kids on long walks through the woods, collecting many bags full of pinecones, and taking them home to create beautiful wreaths for her friends and family. These wreaths were in very high demand! She also loved to travel with her lifelong friend Dorothy: London, Hawaii, Myrtle Beach (where she recorded a hole-in-one), Mount Rushmore, New Orleans, California, Colorado (with her best friend, Lilly Meyers) and more! One favorite trip was during her 80th birthday week in Florida, where she played 2–18-hole rounds of golf with Michael, and then topped off that vacation by parasailing with Tyler and Tanner!! Now you start to understand the Energizer Bunny reference! As a mother, she was simply the best! When the playing was done at Pulaski Park and it was getting dark, ALL the neighborhood kids would come over to the house and call her “Mom” too. She would visit and talk for hours, usually ending with the other moms calling to send them home. As a grandmother, she was amazing! She was very loving, nurturing and profoundly involved in every aspect of Tyler and Tanner’s lives. There is no doubt that the very first thing she did when she arrived in Heaven was to hug Cathy, Tom, Ron and all her friends, and then challenge Saint Peter to a round of golf at the Pearly Gates Country Club-and she might have beaten him, too! A Celebration of Stella’s Life will be held Thursday June 8 from 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM at 5th St. Hall, 701 5th St. NW Grand Rapids, MI 49504.

Tributes

Stella H. Schmidt (Cimuchowski)

April 5, 1930 - May 24, 2023