Obituary of Timothy Lee Schmitz

Timothy Schmitz passed away peacefully in Lafayette, Colorado on August 11th, 2020 at the age of 67 years. Tim is preceded in death by his father. He is survived by his mother Leona Schmitz, and five children; Cecilia Schmitz, Nathan Schmitz, Aaron Schmitz, Patrick Schmitz, Julie (husband Todd) Krommenhoek, his siblings Tom Schmitz, Julie Jensen, and Roxie Chocholousek, and two grandchildren Callie and Drake Krommenhoek. Tim was born on June 8th, 1953 at the Naval Air Base in Hutchinson, Kansas to Ken and Lee Schmitz. He graduated from the University of South Dakota in 1973 with a degree in psychology and pursued a career in business. After moving to Sioux Falls, South Dakota, Tim began working in the life insurance business. He went on to own several restaurants and businesses. In order to be closer to family, Tim moved to Colorado and became a successful manager at Mattress Firm where he received numerous accolades for top achievements in national sales. Tim’s excitement for life and drive for spontaneity and fun is what motivated him. He shared this quest for a full life with his close friends and family. His intelligence and practical outlook made him the go to man for advice and guidance. If you were fortunate enough to be considered his friend, it was for life as he took great pride in his close relationships. Tim was a devoted father and grandfather that dedicated his “free time” to traveling with his family. His most recent trips include annual family vacations to Nashville, San Francisco, Austin, and Key West. In addition to traveling, a big part of Tim’s life was live music. His favorite band is a local Coloradoan band led by artist Nathaniel Rateliff. Tim’s favorite pastime was sports which had been his greatest source of entertainment throughout his life. In addition to exceling at basketball and baseball in his younger years, Tim also played college basketball and tennis. As a long-time season ticket holder of the Minnesota Twins, he continued his passion for baseball by rarely ever missing a game even from his hospital bed. In his pre-retirement years, you could find him on a variety of golf courses several times a week with a beaming smile on his face and ready to cash-in on a wager. Above all, Tim was proud of his Catholic faith and no matter the city or circumstance, you would find him at mass. It was his wish to have Catholic services for his funeral and burial near where he was raised. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at St Joseph’s Catholic Church, 418 Church Ave., Gregory, SD. Thurs., 11:30 A.M., Aug., 20, 2020.Burial will follow in the Catholic Church Cemetery. Contributions: Charity of the donor’s choice. M.P. Murphy & Associates Funeral Directors, Boulder, CO. and Kotrba – Smith Funeral Home, Gregory, SD., are overseeing arrangements. In accordance with law, all services preformed hereunder shall be subject to COVID-19 guidelines in effect at the time of the services. For online messages to the family visit www.murphyfuneraldirectors.com.