Richard "Ricky" Thomas Schmidgall Jr.'s Obituary
Obituary
Richard (Ricky) Thomas Schmidgall, Jr. passed from this earth at the age of 23. He leaves behind family and friends who remember him as open-hearted, unfailingly kind and wickedly intelligent. His wry humor and penchant for practical jokes lightened every situation. As well, he took time to consider the deeper questions about life and our purpose on this earth. He was, in short, extraordinary; and we were blessed to know and love him.
Mining for gems at the Mason Mountain Mine in Franklin, NC was an annual odyssey for Ricky and his grandfather. Collecting rocks, identifying them, and sharing his discoveries with others brought Ricky immeasurable joy. As a student, he volunteered at the Earth, Space and Science Lab in Frederick, MD, sharing both his gem collection and his knowledge about gems with young visitors. Over the span of many summers, he and his grandfather spent hours sorting through rocks in N.C., and in other places, to uncover gems, fossils, and arrow heads. When he found special gems, he had them set in jewelry for special people in his life. His generosity is as defining a characteristic as is his kindness.
Ricky’s main passions were reading novels and writing poems and stories. He felt called to help people find the types of books that would speak most eloquently to their hearts and situations. Ricky’s early love of reading led him to discover an abiding interest in history which became his major area of study in college. Ricky’s family is in the process of establishing the Paper Wings Foundation to honor his legacy of encouraging young readers. Once established, Paper Wings Foundation will work cooperatively with community libraries in low income areas throughout the United States to ensure that everyone who wants a book has a book. Children who benefit from Ricky’s books will become part of the Ricky’s Readers Club.
In lieu of flowers, if you wish to join us in helping to honor Ricky’s passion for encouraging young readers, you may do so by purchasing books from the *Amazon Wish List linked below. Among the list are books that spoke most deeply to Ricky.
Ricky also loved nature, music, and getting together with friends. His music tastes ran the gamut from Frank Sinatra to 90’s Rap to Mongolian Metal Throat singing. According to a friend from Vermont, Ricky sang, “The Fox (What Does the Fox Say)” at least once per day to both the amusement and chagrin of his fellow Texas Roadhouse crew. Ricky’s eclectic taste in music matched his eclectic friendships. He never met someone he couldn’t talk with and his heart was open to connecting with people of all ages.
Along with his friends, Ricky is survived by his mother, Johnna Schmidgall, his father, Richard Schmidgall, Sr. (Norma), his sister, Victoria (Darrin) Pillman, his grandparents, John and Wanda Zink, and numerous aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends.
A memorial is planned for October 6th at 4pm at the Unitarian Universalist Church in Jefferson, MD.
Ricky’s *Amazon Book Wish List: Link: https://www.amazon.com/registries/custom/19IAPSFH9EJSC/guest-view
To send flowers to the family, please visit our floral store.
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