Edward Augustus Schmertz, 89

September 05, 2023

Edward Augustus Schmertz, 89, of Lititz Pennsylvania passed away on September 5, 2023 at the Lebanon VA Medical Center after a brief illness. He was born in Trenton, NJ on September 28, 1933 to Alberta (Farlee) Schmertz and Edward Schmertz. The oldest of four children, Ed lived in Pleasantville, Atlantic City, Trenton and Orange, N.J. with his parents and siblings Bill, Marie (Paterik), and David. He graduated from Orange High School in 1951.

In 1951, he enrolled as a freshman at Penn State Mont Alto and majored in forestry, and he attended Penn State, University Park, from 1952 until his graduation in 1955. During his time at Penn State, he was active in Westminster Foundation, UCA, Pershing Rifles, Forestry Society and Track.

Ed served in the US Army in Korea from 1956 to 1958. He was trained in artillery and worked as a clerk. He also staffed a library during his time in Korea and started a music library for soldiers to enjoy. From 1958 to 1960 Ed completed his certification to teach secondary level science and English. He went on to earn his master’s in counseling education from Penn State from 1960 to 1963. From 1963 to 1979, Ed worked as a high school guidance counselor in Delaware and New Hampshire. He served as a guidance counselor at Manheim Township High School from 1979 until his retirement in 2000; he was selfless in the time and attention he gave to the students he served.

Ed was a natural teacher. Family hikes and country drives you could find Ed referencing the scientific names of trees and plants and engaging his children in exploring the outdoors and nature. He loved helping fix things around the house and taught his children important life skills like how to drive, how to make minor repairs around the house, and how to garden. He loved to read and established a tradition of gifting a book to each family member every Christmas.

Ed had both an adventurous and a generous spirit; this life perspective led him to work in a steel mill far from home and to travel to Nottingham, England as part of an ecumenical work group that helped to build a church. On a number of occasions, Ed was known to get to his destinations by hitchhiking. During college he hitchhiked to Washington State to work in a fire lookout tower. Ed even brought his family along on one of his adventures. Mid-career he took a school counseling position in a small town in the White Mountains of northern New Hampshire.

Ed loved Big Band music, Gene Kelly films, peanut butter, Penn State football, sitting on his back porch watching TV, and marveling at the many birds that visited his bird feeders. He was a kind man who helped his fellow neighbors and always made time to talk with others at his favorite local restaurants and stores (especially Bomberger’s), and was a skilled handyman. He had a knack for making things with his hands and making gifts for friends and family from tools and materials at his work bench in the garage.

An avid photographer his whole life, Ed liked to capture the every-day and special occasions with his camera. He combined his love of travel with the love of photography, capturing images of the trips he and his wife took to Europe, Hawaii, Scotland, Arizona, Alaska and other travel destinations. A set of his slides and images capturing his travels and time in Korea are archived at Penn State’s Special Collections Library.

In retirement, Ed was active in his community. He served as a volunteer at the Lititz Public Library, the Lancaster Conservancy, Meals on Wheels, and the Democratic Party. He participated, and placed, in the Lancaster Senior Games. He enjoyed trips to the New Jersey shore, family gatherings, games of bocce, spending time with his wife, children and grandchildren and puttering around the house. His family describe him as: selfless, genuine, nurturing, kind, generous, strong, curious, silly, and… He was compassionate and a gifted storyteller who was happy to share details about his life or learn about others.

Ed is survived by his wife Helen (Lititz), daughters Susan and Barbara (Andrew), and son, Paul (Valarie), six grandchildren (Tom, Brandon, Emily, Sean, Ryan and Ian) and one great-grandchild (Greyson). He is survived by a sister (Marie) and a brother (David). He is preceded in death by his parents, brother (William), nephew (Andrew), and son-in-law (Andrew).

A memorial interment will be held on September 18, 2023 at 12:30pm at Indiantown Gap National Cemetery. A celebration of life will be held on September 30, 2023 from 1 to 4 pm at Scooter’s Restaurant and Bar, Lititz, PA. In lieu of gifts, memorial contributions can be made to Lititz Public Library, 651 Kissell Hill Road, Lititz, PA 17543 (litizlibrary.org).