Dennis “Denny” John Schmidt
Dennis “Denny” John Schmidt
Cedar Rapids
Dennis “Denny” John Schmidt passed away the evening of Sunday, April 30, 2023, at UnityPoint-St. Luke’s Hospital in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, due to injuries sustained in an automobile accident. Memorial services will be held on Saturday, May 20, 2023, from 2 to 4 p.m. at Murdoch-Linwood Funeral Home & Cremation Service located at 520 Wilson Ave. SW in Cedar Rapids. Military Honors: American Legion Morrison-Schrader Post 296, Deep River, Iowa.
Denny was born on Aug. 18, 1944, in the town of Faribault in Rice County, Minn. He was the oldest of three children born to Donald W. Schmidt and Shirley C. Schmidt (Henderson). After graduating from high school, Denny enlisted in the Navy during the Vietnam War, serving on the USS Southerland and the USS Piedmont. After completing his tours of duty, Denny earned his radio operator’s license and started his career at Rockwell Collins.
Denny married the love of his life, Linda S. Fredericksen, in 1969, building their life together in Cedar Rapids. He started working at Northwestern Bell (CenturyLink/Lumen) shortly after, and remained there until retiring at the age of 70. Denny had a strong work ethic, rarely missing a day on the job and taking on as much overtime as he could manage.
Denny loved to work with his hands and had the mind of an engineer. He was continually learning, building, and striving to find ways to make things better. If there wasn’t a tool available to perform a task, he would design and make one himself. He was an avid carpenter and metal worker and truly enjoyed helping out his friends, family, and neighbors with tasks, projects, and repairs. He greatly enjoyed spending time outdoors fishing, camping, and hunting.
Denny is survived by his wife, Linda; sons, Eric (Jennifer) and Neil (Sarah); daughter, Sara; brother, Steve Schmidt (Bonnie) and their children, Quincy and Dustin (Grace); sister, Andrea; as well as five grandchildren; and a great-nephew.
Please share a memory of Denny at www.murdochfuneralhome.com under obituaries.