Obituary of Frederick W. Schmidlin
Frederick William Schmidlin, age 94, of Pittsford, NY passed away early Tuesday morning, October 23rd in Rochester, NY. He was born in Maumee, OH on August 28th, 1925 to Frederick John and Anna Louise (Kuhlman) Schmidlin, the youngest of 9 children. He worked on the family farm during his childhood, supporting the family vegetable and fruit distribution business until age 18.
Fred served in the US Army as an airline mechanic and supported the very early stages of occupation and reconstruction of Japan, honorably discharged in 1946. He attended The University of Toledo when he returned to the U.S. and earned a bachelor’s degree in Engineering Physics in 1950. From there he went to Cornell where he earned his PhD in Theoretical Physics, 1956, studying solid state and quantum physics. In his final years at Cornell he was distinguished by being named a Corning Glassworks Foundation Fellow. Following graduate school he moved to Southern California where he worked for Space Technology Corp studying superconductivity and then General Technology Corp where he worked on growth and properties of thin films. This is where he met Helene (Terry) McDonald with whom he shared a loving marriage for 60 years. They started a family in Palos Verdes in a modest house overlooking the ocean. The Schmidlin Family moved to Pittsford, NY in 1963 where Fred was asked to clarify the underlying physics behind electrophotography and novel printing systems for Xerox Corporation.
Fred always enjoyed outdoor activities and spending time with family. He took his family on ski trips every winter and spent nearly every weekend of the spring, summer and fall at the Bluebird cabin on Seneca Lake, where he sailed, fished and socialized around the campfire with friends and family. The cabin was a gathering place for many of his and Terry’s extended family members.
Fred retired from Xerox in 1993 and shortly thereafter started up his own business (Xi-Tech) to develop a low-cost personal color printer using dry toner particles. He was awarded several contracts from the Government, but his interest waned after a few years, well before the printer became a reality. In his “retirement” years he spent long hours at his children’s homes building new rooms and finishing off basements.
He is remembered by his colleagues as a brilliant physicist with a deep understanding of classical electrodynamics. He is remembered by his family and friends as the ultimate problem solver. Fred has 55 patents to his name, obtained over the course of his career.
Fred is survived by his wife, Helene (Terry), his 3 children Anne, Edward (Eileen) and Janet (Tracey) Tyler, 7 grandchildren: Michael Schmidlin, Meghan Tyler, Kelly Schmidlin, Frederick Schmidlin, Matthew Tyler, Sarah Schmidlin and Angela Schmidlin. He was further survived by dozens of nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents and all 8 siblings: Oscar, Emil (Bud), Gertrude Schweizer, Herbert, Dorothy Orians, Arthur, John, & Evelyn Skinner.
Services will be held at Ascension Gardens Cemetery, 1900 Pinnacle Road, Henrietta, NY on Monday, October 28th at 11am. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations are sent in Fred Schmidlin’s name to the House of Mercy, 285 Ormond Street, Rochester, NY, 14605 (Website). We will miss you Fred; you were an inspiration to us all.