William Schmidtke

William Schmidtke, known to friends as Bill, died peacefully in his Fallbrook home on Monday, October 9 at the age of 89 after a brief illness. As a native of Washington State, Bill attended University of Puget Sound after serving in the Navy.

In college, Bill was a scholar athlete, playing basketball and baseball. After graduation, he moved to New York and, while working in financial services, attended NYU and obtained a masters in business administration.

Bill had a colorful working career and eventually owned and operated his own chemical supply distributorship in southern California. Bill was an excellent golfer and enjoyed playing golf with his good friends Duke Snider and Joe Rigney for many years.

Bill is survived by his son, Rob Schmidtke, and daughter, Terri Jackson, who were with him during his final days. Bill and Marlene Schmidtke were married for 53 years until Marlene’s death in 2013. They lived in Fallbrook since 1973 and truly enjoyed each other and the life they chose together.

A celebration of life for Bill will be held on Saturday, November 4 at the VFW Hall in Fallbrook at 4 p.m., located on 1175 Old Stage Road. Memorial donations in memory of Bill can be made to the University of Puget Sound Alumni Fund.