Birth date: Apr 24, 1961 Death date: Oct 17, 2024
William Joseph Schmitz, 63, of Tucson, Arizona; passed away on October 17, 2024. Arrangements have been entrusted to Evergreen Mortuary, Cemetery & Crematory, 3015 N. Oracle Rd, Tucson, AZ 85705. (520-888-7470) Joe Schmitz's Mem Read Obituary
We (Phyllis and Daniel Hollingshead, and Paul and Davlyn Hollingshead) came to Arizona a couple of years ago to visit Joe. We are his first cousins. It was an awesome visit. Joe took us to the Sonora gardens, I believe that is the correct name, it was in March and it was so beautiful. He also took us riding through the gorgeous mountains. He also took us to his favorite Taco restaurant, which was so delicious. We had such a great visit with him.
We found out while we were there that Joe had never been to the Grand Canyon. Well neither had any of us. So we had planned on coming back in a couple of years and going up to the Grand Canyon with Joe.
We didn’t get to see Joe very often because of the physical distance between Arizona and East Texas. He has made the trip to Texas with his dad a few times. We had some laughs talking about how his dad would make the trip to Texas by driving straight through. It is almost a 17 hour drive.
We all loved Joe dearly and will mis him terribly.
The picture is from our visit. Joe is on the left, my husband, Daniel in the middle, and Paul on the right. I took the picture as the guys climbed up the mountain.
I have known and been friends with Joe since 1984. We raced RC cars together, and he was a customer at Craig's Hobbies that I worked at. We had a lot of experiences together, racing RC cars in his backyard off of 5th street, multiple trips to Phoenix, and one to Prescott. I eventually worked for him when he opened up Hi Tech Hobbies, and we had a pile of fun. When that closed, we drifted apart and I got out ot RC. We met back up when I had become a Registered Nurse, and was taking care of his dad at St. Joseph's hospital. We became Facebook friends but never really got back together, unfortunately. Lots of good memories and good times with this guy, and I'm really sorry to see him go. I know he had a lot of cardiac issues, and was in pain a lot, so at least he has some relief now.
I met Joe when I was working at The Salvation Army. He worked at the front desk and although he was often seen as the grumpy guy at the front, once you got to know him he had a great sense of humor and an even greater heart. He was always a little gruff with the kids but he had soft spot for them and would always be at all our events to help them out.
And for me Joe is so special because he is the reason that Ronny and I met. Ronny would often come to The Salvation Army to visit and talk with Joe. Ronny would always be sitting in the front office and I would walk through and wonder who this guy was. When I asked others about him, everyone said "Oh, that's Joe's son," and I believed it for a while until I found out that wasn't technically true. But Joe brought us together in a way that he didn't even know and I am grateful to him for that.
When Joe came to live with us recently I got to spend a lot of time with him. He was much more talkative than I remembered, and he could drive me crazy, but I came to really care for him. He talked a lot about waking up from his motorcycle accident, being surrounded by people who cared for him, and saying "Well, shit, now I've got to keep living". He did take that to heart and was working to get himself back on his feet. While I'll always see Joe as the grumpy old man, I also know that he really cared for others although he sometimes had a hard time showing it. I'm grateful to have reconnected with him in the end of his life and to learn more of his story. He had an incredible past and lived an amazing life.
I will really miss you Joe. I'm so thankful for all you did for Ronny in his life as well as so many others in recovery and for how you touched my life as well. Love you.
Joe, I miss our many talks, our six flag trips, our jokes, and most of all the care you showed me as a person and helped me through my recovery journey. There was a time when we were struggling with each other but ultimately our love for each other overcame it all. I am proud to call you Dad! I know it is not blood but you treated me like a son in my recovery journey. You got to watch and help guide me into a career, into many years of sobriety. In the end, you made many choices but none of that matters what matters is the time we did have together and I am grateful that I was able to spend some of the last days with you. When I visited you in the hospital I was upset that the last year was wasted of us not having many conversations. However, I am grateful I could open my door for your last days like you did for me a young drug addict with nothing. I will be forever grateful God brought you into my life. I pray that you are resting easy in the end.
Funny story: Joe would always joke about how when he got older he would be living with me since he took care of me I would end up taking care of him. It is crazy that in the end, it came true I was able to help him and give him a place to live for his final days.
Love you! Miss you!
One of my fondest memories will be when we were driving back from California after a crazy six-flag trip 21 plus rides in four hours. We were listening to Siris XM to different comedians. It was one of the jokes you know is just wrong but it was sooooo funny. We were laughing so hard we were crying. To this day we cannot find the comedian. We know the premise of the joke/song but every time I need a good laugh I think about that moment.
Another is when I went to pick up a laptop from him while he was at his Dad's house I went up to the window like a tweaker "I was clean" but then he woke up groggy and I was like, "watch the ashtray", but as he says it I screamed quietly not to wake his Dad up, lol.If you knew him at that time this was no ordinary ashtray this thing was packed full with minimum a of 200 butts. lol
As I was going through photos, "Mind you I do not take a lot of photos at all" However there was none of him and I at all which is crazy. but not too much however I did find one he snuck of me during my graduation! Ohhhh man.
There is so many memories and fun times together. Going to miss you! You forever have a spot in my heart and life.
