Beverly Schmitt Obituary – The Detroit Free Press

Beverly Jean Schmidt, née Blenko 82, died peacefully at her home in Dearborn Heights, Michigan on November 27, 2025. A devoted wife, mother, and teacher, Beverly is remembered for her beauty, sharp wit, keen intelligence, kindness, and sense of family. Born on December 3, 1942, in New York State to hard-working dairy farmers Lloyd and Louise Blanco, Beverly and her brother Roger grew up with a deep appreciation of hard work, practicality, and honesty. The values ​​instilled by her parents shaped her life and the love they gave her. He was educated in St. Johnsville, NY schools and what is now SUNY-Albany, and received a bachelor’s degree in chemistry in 1964. After teaching for three years in Chatham, NY, she attended Wayne State University on a National Science Foundation fellowship, earning a Master of Science degree in chemistry and gaining a husband, Thomas, along the way. She married Tom in 1970, and together they lived a sweet and blissful life. Bev considered her marriage, her children, and her long career in education to be her greatest accomplishments. A talented teacher with renowned classroom control, Beverly spent 42 years teaching high school and Advanced Placement chemistry, including 39 years at North Farmington High School, Michigan. She really enjoyed teenagers and knew how to bring out the best in students with both average and extraordinary talents. In 1990, based on recommendations from students, parents and administrators, she was honored as Newsweek WDIV’s Outstanding Teacher – earning the title of “Teacher of the Year”, a recognition that made her very proud and reflected the deep impact she had on generations of students. Beverly was proud that so many of her students went on to Michigan’s leading universities as well as prestigious institutions across the country. Tom recalls that once, on a trip to the Boston area, he was joined for dinner by two young women who were former students, one a political science graduate at Harvard, the other an engineering major at MIT. Beverly found her later years of teaching particularly satisfying as she helped a new generation of science teacher colleagues master the skills of teaching complex subject matter to teenage students. After retiring, Beverly pursued a life filled with the things she loved most: cooking elaborate and delicious meals, tending her abundant garden, hanging out with friends, and traveling with Tom. She especially loved trips and adventures to visit her children which included hiking in national and state parks. She was a busy correspondent, sending homemade birthday and holiday cards filled with stickers to a large generation of nieces and nephews. Beverly was proud that her own children had grown up strong and independent, attending the selective universities of their choice and pursuing rewarding careers with loving spouses. Beverly is survived by her husband of 55 years, Thomas M. Schmidt, PhD; his daughter, Susan Horgan, and husband, Brendan; his son, Peter Schmidt, and wife, Abby; and his brother, Roger Blanco, as well as a large number of cousins ​​and in-laws. He is mourned by a group of lifelong friends who enriched his life as he enriched theirs. A celebration of his life is planned at a later date. www.santeifuneralhome.com