Eulogy/Reading from Scooter's Memorial Celebration — May 30, 2005
Thank you for being here on this Memorial Day as we honor and celebrate the life of Scooter Schmidt.
Scooter's death is a cruel reminder of just how vulnerable and how temporary we all are in this world. We'd all agree that he was taken from us far too soon, but the truth is, it doesn't matter if you live to be 100, or just 42, we're all just a blip on the screen. And in that blip, the only thing that really matters is love. Scooter knew this and he lived it, and because he lived it so well, Scooter's blip was bigger than most. Scooter knew better than anybody that possessions don't matter, power doesn't matter, money doesn't matter. Scooter knew that in the end, love is the only thing that matters. In his life, he touched an inordinate number of people in a positive way. The outpouring of grief and support and love for Scooter has been incredible, and if the sheer number of people who are here today to celebrate his life is any indication, Scooter was indeed a very rich and successful man. Scooter's sister Colleen said the other day that she never knew anybody with so many best friends.
While Scooter's death is a reminder of our vulnerability, it is also a reminder of the strength of the human spirit. Scooter's spirit will live on in all of us who knew him, and he will never be forgotten. His incredibly lanky and flexible body, his open face, his beautiful smile, his generosity, his gentle nature, his ability to make people laugh and to feel good about themselves. These are all images and feelings those of us who knew him will be able to conjure up on a dime. He was inarguably an unforgettable person.
And now that he is gone, and we are all feeling the pain of his loss, I know Scooter would want us to look deep inside for the strength in our own spirits. He wouldn't want us to be sad. He'd want us to find joy in the celebration of his life. He'd want us to laugh when we think of him, to tell the stories that made us smile, to have a toast to him, to dance in celebration of him. He always loved a party, after all.
Life was an adventure for Scoot. He loved the thrill of a thrill and really wasn't afraid of anything. The risk was always worth the reward for him. The skating, the skydiving, the skiing, the go-karting, anything physical and extreme, he was fearless. I believe he did not fear death.
Scooter's family was very important to him and no doubt he's with his Grandma Schmidt and his Grandma and Grandpa Steber and his Ja Ja right now, who he loved so much. Scooter was very lucky to grow up in the family he did, to have such generous parents, Sande and Robert, who gave all of their kids so much love, and to have two such unique sisters, Susan and Colleen, who love life as much as he did. Over the past couple of days I've seen so many photos of them as kids, and invariably, they were all laughing. How wonderful to have such a joyful childhood. No wonder Scooter refused to grow up.
Because he was such a kid himself, it's not surprising that he connected with kids in a pretty amazing way. His nephew John and his niece Paris were so special to him. He loved Go-kart racing with John and his Dad, not only for the thrill, but because it brought together three generations of Schmidt boys to play together. What a wonderful gift that is for all of them.
Scooter was the definition of a free spirit. He knew the rules, but really didn't think they applied to him. He lived exactly the way he wanted to, which is something not many people can say about their lives. He had an abounding passion for life, but it had to be on his terms. And while not following the rules sure did get him into trouble from time to time, he never hurt anyone in the process. He was a gentle person with much integrity, who despised violence and who gave a piece of his heart to everyone he met. You know he'd give the shirt off his back to anyone who needed it, that's just who he was.
Water Street was Scooter's home and he found a huge sense of community here. Everything he needed was here, his friends, his sense of purpose. He realized this was his place in the world, where he could be himself and was accepted and loved for who he was. It was a place where he could make a difference in ways that might have seemed small at the time, but ended up having a huge impact on people. He made the Water Street community a better place and his smiling face and incredible energy will be greatly missed around here.
So there will be signs and memories of Scooter everywhere, not least in his dog Cosmo. If you knew Scooter, you knew Cosmo too, they were inseparable. Scooter's enthusiasm for life was shared by Cosmo. Thank God, Cosmo survived the shooting and it looks like he's going to be OK. He's home with Scooter's Mom and Dad, but unfortunately wasn't healed enough to be here with us today.
Scooter was an angel in life, who brought so many of us joy and insight and much laughter. So let us celebrate his life on this and every Memorial Day. He'll no doubt be an angel in death too, who reminds us, as always, that love is the only thing that matters.
And on behalf of the Schmidt family, I know they want to thank everyone for the most incredible show of support and love imaginable, and also everyone who helped organize this celebration. It means the world to them that so many people care and that has helped them get through the unbearable.
At this time, I'd like to invite anyone who has a memory or a story, or anything they'd like to share about Scooter up to the mic, because I know we'd all love to hear it.