Charles W. Schmitt
Born in Brooklyn, NY on April 7, 1928, Charlie passed away on Friday morning, June 20, 2014, at the age of 86. The son of the late Frieda (Krauss) and Joseph Schmitt, Charlie was a resident of Brightview, North Andover, MA, former resident of Andover, MA, and longtime resident of Glen Cove, New York. Charlie attended Polytechnic University in Brooklyn, NY and Columbia University and served in the U.S. Army where he earned the Korean Service Medal with Bronze Service Star and the United Nations Service Medal. Charlie had a passion for sailing and also designed and built sailboats. Charlie also loved to build fine furniture, a skill he learned from his father in his cabinet making shop in Brooklyn.
Charlie’s other passion was jazz. As a teenager, he and his older brother, Joe snuck into the jazz clubs of New York City. Charlie was taken under his wing by jazz bassist Major Holley who became Charlie’s friend and mentor. Over the years, Charlie has played his bass in a variety of jazz bands, most recently Memories in Rhythm in New York and The Golden Years Trio of Andover, performing for seniors in the Merrimack Valley. Charlie played his bass in various venues in Nassau County and New York City. He was honored to perform for Frank Sinatra on a few occasions. Charlie managed real estate and insurance in New York City at Aetna Insurance, Brown Harris Stevens, Douglas Gibbons Holiday & Ives, Charles W. Schmitt & Co. Insurance, and later for Nassau County. Charlie was also a partner with his artist wife, Beverly with Garden Guests, where he created the wood cutouts for Beverly’s life size trompe l’oeil figures of animals and people. Charlie served on the board of the Glen Cove Public Library and was active with the Leukemia Association.
Charlie leaves his wife, Beverly Schmitt of North Andover, MA, son Gary Schmitt and wife Alison Schmitt of Glen Cove, NY, daughter, Laurel Book and husband, Gary Book of Rockville Centre, NY, and daughter, Carol Van Doren and husband, Edward of Andover, MA. He also leaves his grandchildren, Diana Corvelle, Emily Corvelle, Molly Van Doren, Benjamin Van Doren, Jay Ackerman, Brian Ackerman, and Joseph P. Schmitt, great-granddaughter, Victoria Schmitt, and cousin and dear friend, Catherine A. McGovern of Brooklyn, NY. He was also the brother to the late Joseph W. Schmitt, grandfather of the late Charles G. Schmitt and father-in-law to the late Dianna Schmitt and Douglas Corvelle.
A celebration of Charlie’s life will be held on June 29 at 4:00 pm in the Burke-Magliozzi Funeral Home, 390 N. Main Street, Andover. A period of visitation will be held prior to the service at 3:00 pm. In lieu of flowers, expressions of sympathy may be made in Charlie’s memory to the Alzheimer’s Association, 480 Pleasant Street, Watertown, MA 02472 or MSPCA Nevins Farm, 400 Broadway, Methuen, MA 01844. For more information or to send online condolences, please visit www.burkemagliozzi.com.