I lost a dear friend today, but please no sympathy for me. This is far from just my loss. The entire York and Adams Athletic communities lost a dear friend when Herb Schmidt passed away early this morning at age of 90
But I can smile when I know that Herb passed in his sleep, peacefully. After all, this came more than three decades after he survived a massive heart attack, a survival that defied the odds. He always joked that he was living on bonus time, knowing he cheated death - something he always said with that wry smile we all loved so much. His one son once said to me "my dad was too stubborn to die" and I for one take a lot of heart knowing he went his way today.
Rest assured, Herb made the most of his time here. As a long-time teacher, coach, administrator and executive director of the YAIAA, Herb loved sports, wanted school-age kids to participate in athletics and other activities. He was passionate about it. He did more and impacted more lives than most of us will every know. And more than he ever wanted credit for.
He didn't do it for fame, or glory, or to even take credit. He did it because he felt it needed to get done and our league benefitted from it tremendously.
On top of his work, once you got to know him, you knew an amazing person that would do anything for you. He had a personality that he may have kept hidden sometimes, but once you found it, you treasured the person that was Herb.
I will miss the frequent lunches - complete with craft beer flights - that he and I shared the last several years. I will just miss talking to the guy.
Herb Schmidt was a great man, who lived a long and tremendous life. He was also one of my very best friends.
Time to hoist one in your honor my friend, with love.