Obituary of Leo Thomas Schmelz
Leo Thomas Schmelz was born in Monroe on November 15, 1949. He was one of five children born from the union of Russell Leo and Alma J (Grassley) Schmelz.
Leo married the love of his life the former Sharon Kay Ellison on December 13, 1969. He honorably served his country in the United States Army during the Vietnam War. He earned a Bronze Star by walking point and leading and advancing his unit through unsecure territory. He also obtained his Air Medal Marksmanship Award for successful completion of weapons qualification course.
A man of few words, Leo was proud to be a veteran, and loved wearing his favorite shirt with this clever slogan: , “I don’t have a PhD, but I have a DD-214”. He lovingly made up shirts and gave them to many of his Veteran friends. Leo continued to give back as a Lifetime Member of the Monroe Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1138 and served on the Honor Guard Ritual Team, paying final respects to his fallen comrades.
After retiring from Georgia Pacific with forty-four years of service, Leo, went back to work to be bossed around by his wife, Sharon. The duo, along with their family, ran a catering business providing catering and decorating for funeral lunches, weddings, fundraisers and birthday parties at the Post and at the Monroe Knights of Columbus Council #1266 where Leo was also a member. Their favorite meal to prepare at the K of C was Thursday Luncheon’s and the annual Lenten Fish Fry. He was more than satisfied to work behind the scenes. A self-proclaimed “Jack of all trades, master of none”, when something needed done or fixed, Leo, was your man. He was meticulous in his eye for detail and none more prevalent then his well-manicured lawn.
Leo was also an avid sports fan and looked forward to cheering on his favorite teams: The University of Michigan Football and the Detroit Tiger’s Baseball. He spent many afternoons watching NASCAR and was quite fond of the #3 car of the Dale Earnhardt era. You would often find him Sunday afternoons playing pool on the Knights of Columbus Pool League where he surprisingly found himself doing quite well.
A wonderful person and a great man, family was of the utmost importance to Leo; he especially loved his girls and time spent with them.
Leo, age 70, passed away peacefully at home on Saturday May 30, 2020, after battling a short illness, surrounded by his loving family. In addition to his parents his passing was preceded by two siblings: Russell “Bub” Schmelz and Lauranne Madeline Schmelz.
To cherish his memory, Leo leaves his devoted wife of 50 + years: Sharon K. Schmelz; two daughters: Stella Kay (Scott) Walls and Lisa Marie (Jeremiah) Connally; two brothers: Terry (Joanne) Schmelz and Edward (Ruth) Schmelz; six grandchildren: Toby Walls, Cassandra Bright, Brianna (Brian) Gallagher, Niles Powell, Miranda Powell, and Zander Connally; and three great grandchildren: Wesley, Rylee and Evelynn.
Due to current physical distancing restrictions, a celebration of life, and service will be planned for a later date. Merkle Funeral Service North Monroe, 2442 North Monroe (734) 384-5185 has been entrusted with his care. Online guests may visit www.merklefs.com.
