TRIBUTE TO MY DAD

The Greater New Haven Loan Fund is going to honor my Dad tomorrow night at their annual dinner. Mom will receive the award & John, Danny, Gerry & I will be there to support her. The following is what they will have in their program for the evening.

Honoring the Life Work of John Schmitz, CPA

“The majority of us lead quiet, unheralded lives. There will most likely be no ticker-tape parades for us, no monuments created in our honor. But that does not lessen our possible impact, for there are scores of people waiting for someone just like us to come along. Someone who will live a happier life merely because we took the time to share what we had to give.” – Leo Buscaglia

And in that statement, is the essence of the life that was John J. Schmitz. The Greater New Haven Community Loan Fund staff and leadership are honored to dedicate this 20th Anniversary celebration to John J. Schmitz in memory of his many contributions to the organization – as a friend, supporter and our accountant. John had been recommended by someone in a larger CPA firm that felt we were too small. As we tried to define our firm, his response was, “I know what you do…my brother runs a similar organization.” And so we began our journey.
By our Executive Director’s admission, John’s introduction to the Loan Fund was a stack of handwritten spreadsheets, loose invoices, receipts, and a checkbook with carbon copy. He took those random bits of paper and miraculously converted them into an audited financial statement. For the next 20 years, he stayed with us, certainly not for financial gain. For him, it wasn’t a job…it was a mission. During his tenure, many organizational milestones were achieved. His quiet efficiency and extraordinary knowledge of his trade encouraged our organization to continue in pursuit of our purpose. We grew and expanded, introducing new products, programs and services into the realm of our existence, always understanding that our fiscal structure was strong and in safe, capable hands. John left no doubt as to what was most important in his life. He spoke of his growing family, his trips with Mary, and his work with his church.
John was born in New Haven, Connecticut on February 14, 1944, the son of George and Isabel Carney Schmitz. He graduated from St. Francis Grammar School, Wilbur Cross High School and received a BS from The University of New Haven. He began his accounting career in 1964. After receiving his C.P.A., he became a partner in the firm of Possidente & Schmitz, C.P.A. in the late 1970’s. He opened his own firm of John J. Schmitz, C.P.A. in 1991. In 1966 John married Mary and they had four children, Mary, John Jr., Daniel, and Christopher. He was the proud grandfather of 10 grandchildren with the 11th due in January 2009. John was a member of the board of The Mary Wade Home, a past member of the board of Life Haven, Inc., a member of The Rotary Club of New Haven – as Treasurer of Rotary District 798 for three years, a member of the Parish Council of St. Stephen Church, a member of The Knights of Columbus, and board member of St. Mary’s High School. John and Mary were also Chairpersons of the Americares HomeFront Project for St. Stephen Church for five years and were Co-Chairpersons of the St. Stephen Building/Expansion Fund. He died on Friday, August 1, 2008. Besides his beloved family, he leaves two brothers, Monsignor Gerard G. Schmitz of Bloomfield and Brother George C. Schmitz, C.S.C, of Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania.
John left a legacy of excellence and a proven track record of quality and outstanding performance. His will be large footsteps to fill…a difficult path to follow for the next firm. He is already sorely missed.

It's still really hard.