Obituary of Gardie Schmidtke

Gardie J. Schmidtke It is with much sadness that we announce the passing of Gardie Jay Schmidtke, at home, on Saturday, May 15, 2010, in Olympia, WA. He was born on October 14, 1944, in Bremerton, WA, and spent the majority of his life in the Olympia area. Gardie was a proud Navy veteran, serving on the U.S.S. Independence during the Vietnam War. After finishing his four years of duty, he returned home to Olympia and went to work for Georgia Pacific. He worked as a corrugator at GP for 41 years before retiring in 2009. On any given day you could find Gardie sipping coffee and chatting with the employees of Hawk's Prairie Restaurant. Many of these conversations probably revolved around trains, motorcycles, or what, in his opinion, were the greatest ten years of American history and culture, the 50's. Once the coffee wore off and night had fallen, it was time to jump, jive, and wail into the wee hours at the local dance hall. An avid and accomplished dancer, he attracted the attention of his partner, Francine. Gardie semi-retired the dancing shoes and took on the role of "Grandpa" Gardie to Francine's granddaughters Erin and Emma. He was extremely dedicated to them, so much so that he willingly did what few men would: give up control of the remote during a football Sunday with a smile on his face. Fran might not have been able to wrest the remote from Gardie, but she did receive the lion's share of his heart. Whether it was the flower bouquet sent "just because", an idle thought turned into action, or simply a shoulder to cry on, it all added up to a love that was irreplaceable. Feisty. Romantic. Mentally and physically strong. Kindhearted. A unique sense of humor. Gardie will be remembered for these traits and more by the family and friends he touched. You will be missed. Gardie is survived by his daughter Jennifer, of Florida, son David and granddaughter Hiroko, of New Mexico, older brother Galen, of Olympia, WA, his partner of 11 years Francine and her extended family, and friends. Gardie chose the following poem to comfort those he loved: I wait for the time when we can soar together again, -- both aware of each other, Until then, live your life to its fullest. And when you need me, Just whisper my name in your heart, ...I will be there. To leave memories and condolences for the family, click on View Guestbook below.