Obituary of Barbara Ann Schmidt

Barbara Ann (Ervin) Schmidt 01/24/1952 – 11/22/2021 Loving and Beloved Devoted Wife and Mother Dutiful Daughter and Sister Attentive Aunt Constant Friend Faith… Courage… Grace… Love… These were the qualities that defined Barb’s life, a life that her son Eric and husband Mike were blessed to share for more than 40 years. Born in Helena, Montana, on January 24, 1952, Barb moved with her parents, Doane and Thelma (Kersch) Ervin to Spokane, Washington, when she was 18 months old. She grew up in the family’s Spokane Valley home where she was joined by her sister Cindy (Cynthia – married name Savage) and brother Ted (Theodore). Barb welcomed Jesus into her life as a young child and steadfastly maintained her faith throughout her life – even while suffering the ravages of multiple sclerosis. After graduating from West Valley High School in 1970, Barb attended Business College in Portland, Oregon. Barb’s patience, attention to detail, and determination ideally suited her to work as an automotive Title Clerk. It was in that role, while working for Sherwin-Hollenback VW, she met her husband, Mike Schmidt. Barb and Mike believed that the Lord brought them together to complete and sustain each other. Barb became Mike’s devoted wife and mother to Mike’s two-and-a-half-year-old son Eric. As Eric later noted, “My Dad chose well!” Married on April 18, 1981, Barb and Mike moved into a small house on Spokane’s South Hill, where they lived until Mike took a position with a training and consulting firm in Boston, Massachusetts. While Mike moved to Boston to begin working, Barb stayed in Spokane to pack their belongings. She and Eric traveled to Boston during Eric’s spring break. Four years later, Barb and Mike moved back west to the Seattle area to be closer to Eric. They started their own consulting and training business, Schmidt and Associates, of which Barb was Vice President. Barb’s greatest joy was being a partner with Mike and a devoted mother to Eric. Barb nurtured Eric’s love of music from his earliest years. As he grew, Barb and Mike enjoyed attending Eric’s concerts, his many sporting events, and his graduation from Shorewood High School. When air travel became impossible for Barb, she and Mike took the train to Chicago to attend his graduations from Northwestern University for his Bachelor’s Degree and the University of Chicago for his Master’s Degree. Barb was blessed to witness Eric’s marriage to Jamie and the birth of two beautiful grandchildren, Artemis and Elijah. Even though Barb experienced the first symptoms of multiple sclerosis in 1981 and chronic symptoms in 1988, it wasn’t until 1990 that the disease was finally diagnosed. The relentless progression of the disease became an ever-present part of life for Barb and Mike, but they faced it together. When they could, they loved spending time together at Salishan resort on the Oregon Coast. Barb awoke every morning, ready to assist Mike in any way she could. At night while Mike was working, Barb would call out, “I love you! Let me know if there is anything I can do to help.” Knowing that she was there always strengthened Mike to carry on. She was always there for Mike. Over the years, Barb progressed from using a cane, to a walker, to a wheelchair. Ultimately, she became a quadriplegic. Throughout, Barb’s faith in her Lord was never shaken. She faced each day with courage and grace, always placing her love for her family first. As a statement of their commitment to each other, Barb and Mike renewed their wedding vows in April of 2015. In a song, he wrote for her, Mike told Barb, “You’re God’s greatest earthly gift to me. Forever, hand in hand.” Our family takes comfort in knowing Barb is with her Lord and Savior and has a new body that is free from pain and limitations. She is able to do all the things she loved to do, running like she did as a child, going for walks, cooking, and praising her Lord. She has been reunited with departed loved ones, including her father Doane. We look forward to the time when we will also be reunited with her in Heaven. We love you and miss you terribly, Bar’.