Leslie Melvin Schmidt

Leslie Melvin Schmidt (Skip/Smitty/Grandpa Skippy), age 90, of Spring Lake Park, MN passed away Thursday, July 24th, 2025.

A memorial service will be held at 11:00 AM on Friday, August 8th, 2025, at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church, 7700 Monroe St. NE, Spring Lake Park, MN 55432, Pastor Paul Strawn officiating. A visitation will be held one hour prior to service. A luncheon will be provided immediately after service.

Leslie Melvin Schmidt (Skip/Smitty) was born November 4th, 1934, in Graceville, MN the son of Leslie and Alice (O’Donnell) Schmidt.

Leslie graduated Wheaton High School in 1954, joined the US Navy and received his honorable discharge in 1957. Leslie married Margaret Rose Halverson (Marge) September 8, 1962, at Bethlehem Lutheran Church, Minneapolis, MN.

Leslie retired from Meyers Printing Company in 1997; then to become, as we all know, CEO of Smitty’s Scrapping. Leslie enjoyed and loved all of his family and many friends. His best times were at his cabin on Big Sandy Lake and being captain of his pontoon with everyone around (sometimes just some quiet time with Marge too). He liked to have cold beer and play a few pull tabs with family and lake friends at Fisherman’s Bay.

Leslie and Marge went to their winter destination to Manzanillo, Mexico for 30 years, with many good longtime friends and enjoyed walking down the beach to their favorite “hang out” El Indio. Leslie enjoyed some deep-sea fishing and a game of bocce ball on the beach, and not to forget several card games several times a day, while Marge enjoyed some good reads and time with the girls.

One of Leslie's best/proudest memories was while Jeff (son) was in the Navy was the opportunity for him to be on his ship and join him on “The Tiger Cruise” from Hawaii to California doing maneuvers at sea. Some of Leslie’s favorite things at home were his pick-up truck and trailer, his riding lawn mower, scrapping in his garage while listening to old country music on BOB 106.1, and of course going to Monte’s for a beer, Thursday cribbage, a few pull-tabs and when fall came was football and managing football boards. He enjoyed watching car racing (he went to the Indy 500 five times). He was always in for a good game of Cribbage or Smear, if you had a few bucks in your pocket. Leslie liked to hunt deer (the famous buck story) and pheasant, as well as bobber fish and ice fish.

Over all the years of celebrating any type of family/friend's occasions, we could count on Leslie grilling his turkey on the rotisserie, always cooked to perfection and so delicious!

Leslie was preceded in death by his parents Leslie and Alice; brothers (5) Clay, Dale, Pete and Jerry; sisters (4) Joan, Kay, Lucy and Sheila. Also, preceded in death by great granddaughter Vivian Lou Rhode.

Leslie is survived by wife Margaret Schmidt of 62 years, daughter Shelly (Mike) Strand of East Bethel, MN, son Jeff Schmidt of Andover, MN, and daughter Jennifer Crenshaw, of Saint Francis, MN, brother Mike (Connie) Schmidt of Wheaton, MN, grandchildren (7), Alyssa (Joe), Ashley (Ben), Alexandra (Taylor), Connor, Molly (Ethan), Sydnee and Samuel, and great grandchildren (9), Gwenyth, Libby, Caleb, Piper, Joanna, Theodore, Esme, Harrison, and Louis, also 11 nieces and nephews.

We would like to thank our family and many friends for their loving support.