Ronald Wayne Schmidt

Ronald Wayne Schmidt, 82, of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, passed away peacefully at home on March 16, 2026. Visitation will be held on Friday, March 20, from 5 – 7 p.m. at Murdoch-Linwood Funeral Home & Cremation Service in Cedar Rapids. A memorial service will be held on Saturday, March 21, at 10:00 a.m. at Zion Lutheran Church in Hiawatha. Burial will take place at St. John's Lutheran Cemetery in Homestead, Iowa.

Ron was born on November 7, 1943, in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, the eldest child of Harlan and Verona (Ficken) Schmidt. He graduated from Williamsburg High School in 1961 and enlisted in the United States Air Force shortly thereafter. While home on leave from Alaska, he met Marleen Wardenburg at a Williamsburg basketball game, a meeting that changed both of their lives. They were married on June 18, 1966, in Williamsburg, and according to his many cousins, their wedding celebration was “the party of the century.”

Ron earned degrees from both Indiana University and the University of Iowa. His pride grew even deeper when his grandchildren, Cassidy and Braden attended those same universities. He loved cheering on the Hoosiers and the Hawkeyes, knowing his grandchildren were in the stands.

Ron spent most of his career with FMC as an accountant, working in Iowa, Kentucky, and Illinois, before later joining Orlando Health in Florida. Wherever life took them, Ron and Marleen found a church home and served faithfully. At Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in Orlando, they devoted countless hours to the food pantry, and Ron supported Marleen’s ministry of crafting hats and stuffed animals for the children at Winnie Palmer Hospital. Their shared faith shaped their marriage, their service, and the way they treated every person they met. In recent months, nothing brought him more joy than time spent with his great-grandson, Graham, born on Ron and Marleen’s wedding anniversary.

Ron led by example. He taught his family the value of hard work, the importance of serving quietly, the meaning of loving one’s country, and the comfort of trusting God through every season of life.

Ron is survived by his daughter, Tamara Kappler; his son and daughter-in-law, Scott and Janelle Schmidt; his grandchildren, Kyle Kappler-Kunz and her husband Dan Kunz, Cassidy Schmidt and Braden Schmidt; and his great-grandson, Graham Kunz. He is also survived by his sister-in-law, Karen Schwarting, and his brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Richard and Judy Wardenburg.

He was preceded in death by his beloved wife, Marleen; his parents; his sister, Barbara; his father- and mother-in-law, Erwin and Leona Wardenburg; his brother-in-law, Gerald Schwarting; and many cherished aunts and uncles.

Memorials may be directed to Zion Lutheran Church or to the Prince of Peace Lutheran Church Food Pantry in Orlando, Florida.