Vivian Schmidt

Vivian Goodrich Schmidt, 80, of Bartlesville, Oklahoma died January 17, 2016 of natural causes. Vivian was born on October 14, 1935 in East Orange, NJ with her identical twin sister, Mary, to Laurence B. and Lois S. Goodrich. She graduated from Oneonta (NY) High School in 1952 and received a B.S. in Science Education from Cornell University in 1956 and an M.S. in 1959. Vivian married William (Bill) J. Schmidt Jr. of Westwood, NJ on Sept. 8, 1956 in Oneonta, NY. Their first home was in Petersburg, VA where Bill was stationed at Fort Lee. Vivian taught elementary school in Matoaca, VA for one year until they moved back to Ithaca, NY to pursue advanced degrees. In 1959, Vivian and Bill moved to Warren, OH where she taught high school biology and physical science. In 1960 they moved to Fort Wayne, IN where they began their family. Long interested in government and politics, Vivian joined the League of Women Voters in 1965 and was a member in Ft. Wayne, St. Louis, MO and Bartlesville, OK. In Ft. Wayne she learned about government and serving the public, and developed the confidence to run for public office. In 1971, she became the second woman to be elected to the Fort Wayne City Council. In 1980, she was elected by her peers to serve as Council President. She served as Councilwoman-at-Large for 10 years, until she and Bill moved to St. Louis in 1982. Vivian was then appointed by Missouri Governor Mel Carnahan to chair the St. Louis County Board of Election Commissioners, an office she held until 2000. In 2001, Vivian and Bill moved to Bartlesville to be closer to their son, daughter-in-law, and infant grandson. Vivian was appointed in 2003 as Democratic Party representative to the Board of Election Commissioners of Washington County, OK. She also served four-year terms on the Bartlesville Board of Adjustment and Metropolitan Area Planning Commission. Vivian was delighted with the increasing number of women elected to the U.S. Congress and worked for many years to encourage and help women run for elected office. She was also a member of the Board of Directors of the Colonial Estates Homeowners Association and wrote its newsletter from 2002-2009. Vivian was preceded in death by her parents and twin sister, Mary Goodrich Leggitt. Survivors include her husband, William J. Schmidt Jr., of the home; daughter Elizabeth Schmidt Hine, DVM, son-in-law Steven S. Hine, and granddaughter Catherine Lois, of Bartlesville; son William J. Schmidt III, daughter-in-law Tina Trotter Schmidt, and grandson Charles William of Fulshear, TX; niece Margaret Leggitt Atzeni and great-niece Laura Elizabeth of Red Oak, TX; nephew Richard I. Leggitt, wife Teresa, and daughter Marissa of Milpitas, CA; great-nephew John L. Griffin-Leggitt of Missoula, MT. Vivian's life was active and filled with service to others. She loved her family, her dogs and calico cats, her award-winning garden, traveling the world, politics, and books: especially biographies of founding Americans and American history. She contributed to organizations working to save the planet, in particular the Natural Resources Defense Council and the Sierra Club. Vivian also donated to the League of Women Voters and the Unitarian-Universalist Church. Vivian's memorial service will be officiated by Jason Elmore at 2pm, Saturday, March 12, 2016 at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Bartlesville, 428 S. Seneca Ave. In lieu of flowers, please donate to the aforementioned organizations, the Animal Rescue Foundation of Bartlesville, or the Washington County SPCA. Arrangements are under the direction of the Arnold Moore & Neekamp Funeral Home. Online condolences may be left at www.honoringmemories.com.

Service Details

Wednesday, March 2nd, 2016 2:00pm, Unitarian Universalist Church of Bartlesville