Eunice Louise Schmidt

Eunice Louise Schmidt, Professor Emerita Seattle Pacific University, passed away November 29, 2010 in Colorado Springs with her children by her side. Born in Aplington, Iowa, on February 26, 1921, Eunice was the valedictorian of her class at Aplington High School and also the member of the girl's basketball who lost the state championship in double overtime when her shot circled the rim twice and rolled off as the buzzer sounded. She attended Iowa State Teacher's College, now the University of North Iowa, the University of Alberta, and earned her PhD at the University of Washington. On June 2, 1949, she married the love of her life, Rev. Otto R. Schmidt. Together they founded McKernan Baptist Church in Edmonton, Alberta. Eunice began her teaching career in a one-room country school when she was 19 with some students who were 18. She went on to become an outstanding elementary teacher, a resource teacher, a reading specialist, and then an education professor. She served as the Director of Graduate Language and Reading Education Programs and the Chair of International Research in Language Education at SPU. Her research on cognitive aspects of reading and cognition building thro...[more]

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writing has been published in many countries and languages. She enjoyed traveling and her journeys took her throughout Europe and from Russia and Alaska to Australia and New Zealand. Memorable travels include touring China shortly after it opened where people reached out to touch her red hair, going to East Germany with her husband to visit his elderly uncle, and later sharing a hammer with her grandsons while they took turns knocking down a bit of the Berlin Wall. She leaves her sons Dr. Robert Schmidt and Randall L. Schmidt, of Colorado Springs, her daughter Carolyn Larson and her son-in-law Dr. Peter Larson of Moscow, ID, and her grandsons Benjamin Yates, Jonathan Yates, and Roy Schmidt. She was predeceased by her beloved husband, Otto R. Schmidt. Eunice had a lively, playful personality, a great sense of style and of adventure, and always words of wisdom and encouragement. She loved people and touched many lives. She will be greatly missed.