John Bruno Schmidt, 86, of Huntley, passed away at his home on May 1, 2025.
The son of John and Margaret (Hermann) Schmidt, John was born April 8, 1939 on a German settlement in Romania. He was raised by his Grandmother until the age of 12, when he joined his parents in Chicago, IL after they immigrated. He was an Alumni of Lane Tech and proudly served in the U.S. Army 41st Infantry, 4th Armored Division stationed in Neu-Ulm, Germany.
He went on to be fondly known as ‘Captain John’ as Manager of Dominick’s fish market for 30+ years. Consistently dishing out amazing food and recipes, he was an incredible cook, just a call away to help make the perfect Thanksgiving turkey or Easter ham. Upon retiring in Del Webb Huntley, he filled his time as President of the German-American Club, a proud member of the Rheinischer Gesang Verein, Prairie Singers and Huntley American Legion. Also known as Hans, he was passionate about singing, frequently delighting us with renditions of Edelweiss or Elvis, and each year we affectionally awaited our birthday song. He possessed a heart of gold and a deep pride of his German heritage, cherished as a loving father, grandfather and great-grandfather – he was our Papa.
He is survived by his beloved daughter, Margaret Schmidt, stepdaughter, Veronica (Keith) Baker, his ex-wife Theresia Schmidt and his fiancé, Annette Kohl. He is also the proud grandfather of Whitney, Jordon, Lauren, Maximus, Vincent and Eve, and the great-grandfather of Remy, Marlo, Kiera and Lilah.
Visitation will be held on Thursday, May 8 from 10am until the time of the service at 11am at Trinity Lutheran Church 11008 N Church St, Huntley, IL 60142. Burial will be on Friday, May 9 at 10am at Crystal Lake Memorial Park. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to Trintiy Lutheran Church.
For further information please contact the funeral home at 847-515-8772 or online condolences may be directed to www.defiorefuneral.com
Er ist nun frei, und unsere Tränen wünschen sein Glück (Goethe).
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Condolences to all of Hans family. He will be missed.
I met John in Prairie Singers. He always had a smile and a kind word. He was also a gentleman and had a pleasant voice and demeanor. He will be missed. May he rest in peace. God bless his family with many happy memories of John.
Thoughts and prayers are with the family will miss seeing John. He was a great guy.
Condolences and prayers
As a fellow Prairie Singer, I will miss his joyful voice and his kind heart.
So sorry for your loss. He was an amazing man. He will be missed.
We remember John portraying Martin Luther at Trinity VBS several years ago. He taught the kids how to say the Lord's Prayer in German. May all who loved John find comfort in beautiful memories and the warm embrace of family and friends.
Rest in peace, John. A good and faithful servant of our Lord. You were loved by all, and will truly be missed.
So sorry to hear of Hans's passing. Our condolences and prayers are with you. He will be missed - but memories live on.
We are deeply sorry for your loss and remember John Bruno as a kind and generous man who loved his family and friends, enjoyed singing and his garden and cherished his German heritage.
Liebe trauernde Familie! Hansis Todesnachricht hat mich sehr betrübt. Herzliches Beileid! Als Kleinkinder hatten wir ein ähnliches Schicksal, viele Jahre ohne unsere Eltern verbringen zu müssen. Etliche Jahre waren wir in Petersdorf bei Mühlbach/Rumänien Nachbarn und Klassenkameraden. Hansi Bruno konnte seine Eltern endlich wieder sehen. Nach einem langen arbeitsreichen Leben mit viel Liebe zur Musik sowie gesellschaftlichem Engagement, mit einer Großfamilie und Enkeln sowie Urenkeln, ist er uns nun in die Ewigkeit fortgegangen. Ich hatte das Glück während eines Besuches bei meinem Sohn Heinz in Palatine, ihn wiederzusehen und das nach mehr als 70 Jahren! Die Freude beiderseits war riesig! Ich verabschiede mich von Dir lieber Hansi, mit den Worten aus unserer alten Heimat: „Gott gebe Dir die ewige Ruhe!“
So sorry for your loss. Hans was a great man very thoughtful & always caring about his family & friends. You & family are in my thoughts & prayers!
Marge Wagner and Ron Saballus unfortunately are in California, and we will be unable to attend the funeral services for our friend John Schmidt. John was a very compassionate and friendly man, and we feel blessed to have known him. He will be truly missed, and we send our thoughts and prayers to his lady Annie.
We are deeply sorry to hear about your loss. We will always remember Bruno for his kindness, generosity, and his pride in his German heritage. One of our fondest memories of him is in his garden, happily grilling steaks and singing songs for everyone. He will be greatly missed. Ruhe sanft. With heartfelt condolences, the Koenig Family.
Our sincere condolences to the Schmidt family and our dear friend Annie Kohl , our thoughts and prayers are with you at this time of sorrow
Sorry for your loss = John was a great guy and great worker at Dominicks and loved by all.
We will always remember John's big smile and friendly greeting at Dominic's in Palatine. We considered him a friend and enjoyed many conversations with him. May your memories bring you smiles at this difficult time and may God give you peace. With our deepest sympathy!
It sounds like John led a very full life; including service to his country. He leaves many loved one with sadness, but wonderful memories. John always had a lovely smile for me and everyone in Prairie Singers. I'm impressed by how involved he was in clubs at Del Webb. A wonderful man. My condolences.
My memories of John are nothing but pleasant! What a nice, caring, friendly, gentleman who lived his faith as God’s child! We’d reminisce about the “old neighborhood” and St. Michael Lutheran Church in Chicago where he attended and I was the organist. He even brought pictures to share with me! Every time I’d see him we’d put our hands on each other’s shoulders and rock back and forth singing 🎶John Jacob Jingleheimer Schmidt🎶! That’s what I lovingly called him and he loved to sing it with me! May God give you peace knowing he is forever singing God’s praises in heaven! 🥰