By John Garnica Board member, Fillmore Unified School District
(Editor’s note: Former schools superintendent Dr. Neil Schmidt, 63, died Wednesday after reportedly suffering from a heart attack brought on by a bee sting. The top educator, who had retired to work on an avocado farm in Fillmore, also headed districts in Lodi, Calif., and Conejo Valley, Calif.) I am writing this letter as a tribute to Dr. Neil Schmidt, past superintendent of the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District, the Conejo Valley Unified School District in Thousand Oaks and the Fillmore Unified School District. His passing last week was felt throughout all three communities.
Dr. Schmidt’s impact on our community cannot be overstated. He was involved in so many charitable acts: Fillmore Lion’s Club, Fillmore Boys and Girls Club, cofounder and chair of the Mentorship Program of Fillmore, Fillmore Pool Committee, and many other committees and programs that had a real and positive influence on children. But Dr. Schmidt was not just involved, he was a leader, and one that worked tirelessly on behalf of our children and community. He was always willing to open his heart and his home to causes that benefited Fillmore.
Dr. Schmidt was always positive, assuming the best in people that he worked with. He would always come up and say hello, and offer words of encouragement to those around him. Whether it was playing poker, volunteering to chair a committee, or being superintendent of a school district, Dr. Schmidt’s energy and enthusiasm always shone through.
Although Dr. Schmidt is gone, his legacy in Fillmore will be felt for a very long time. He has affected people in so many ways, many of whom never had the opportunity to meet such an outstanding human being. My family and I count ourselves fortunate that we could call him “friend.”
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on December 21, 2004. Read the original PDF.