Rodger Joseph Schmidt, 76, of Highland, Illinois, passed away August 24, 2026, at Anderson Hospital in Maryville.
Rodger was born March 13, 1950, in Highland to Roy H. and Dorothy (Frisse) Schmidt. Raised on his family’s fifth-generation farm in rural Edwardsville, he attended St. Boniface Elementary School, graduated from Edwardsville High School in 1968, and earned a bachelor’s degree from Western Illinois University, where he studied geography and cartography.
Rodger met the love of his life, Ruth Miller, at a sock hop in 1964. They married in 1972 at St. Paul’s United Church of Christ in Edwardsville and spent more than five decades building their life together. They raised two children, Randall and Rachael, and family remained at the center of the life they shared.
After college, Rodger chose to return home to work alongside Ruth at the child care center, which they soon purchased together. They owned and operated Professional Day Care Center on Hillsboro Avenue for more than 25 years, with Rodger serving as director and Ruth running the preschool. Together they helped care for generations of Edwardsville-area children, many of whom will remember Rodger behind the wheel of the daycare’s 15-passenger van with its bright yellow smiley-face logo.
Rodger also worked part-time as a Realtor with Century 21 Metcalf Agency in downtown Edwardsville, often helping daycare families find new homes. Each Halloween, he donned an oversized costume to hand out balloons at the Edwardsville Halloween parade.
After more than 25 years, Rodger and Ruth chose to close Professional Day Care Center for a new opportunity with the Edwardsville YMCA. As Director of Child Care Programs, Rodger launched its before- and after-school programs and summer camps, with Ruth joining him in extending their life’s work and their quiet, lasting influence to another generation of local children and families until his retirement.
Rodger and Ruth attended St. Mary’s Catholic Church and St. Boniface Catholic Church. Rodger’s faith was personal and quietly held. At St. Mary’s, he taught Sunday school and confirmation and helped relaunch the teen youth group, with Ruth alongside him.
A lifelong student of history, Rodger filled his shelves with well-read books, an interest that often inspired family outings and weekend adventures. He especially treasured holidays, birthdays and other occasions that brought his family together.
In retirement, being Grandpa became one of Rodger’s greatest joys. Allison and Cooper were part of Grandpa and Grandma’s lives from the day they were born, spending countless days and nights together and creating years of treasured memories. When Ophelia and Oliver joined the family much later, they brought a new chapter of grandparenthood, which Rodger and Ruth embraced with the same love and joy.
Rodger devoted much of his retirement to caring for Ruth, the wife with whom he had shared nearly his entire adult life. Ruth preceded him in death by just six weeks, on July 8, 2026. From two teenagers meeting at a sock hop in 1964 to more than five decades of marriage, their lives were deeply intertwined. They worked side by side, served their church and community together, raised their family together, and remained inseparable through every chapter of their lives.
Rodger is survived by his son, Randall Schmidt and his wife, Brooke (Meyers), and their children, Ophelia and Oliver Miller; his daughter, Rachael (Schmidt) Zurliene and her husband, Mark, and their children, Allison and Cooper Zurliene; his brother, Ron (Mary Jo) Schmidt; his sisters, Sandy (the late Tom) Ohren and Rosemary (Bruce) Dorsey; Ruth’s cousin, Judy (Fred) Schaefer, and their family; and many cherished nieces, nephews, cousins and extended family members.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Ruth; his parents, Roy and Dorothy Schmidt; his brother, Richard “Wally” Schmidt; and brother-in-law, Tom Ohren.
Visitation will be held at Weber & Rodney Funeral Home in Edwardsville on Tuesday, September 1 from 4-7 pm. A Funeral Mass will be celebrated at St. Boniface Catholic Church on Wednesday, September 2 at 10 am, followed by a family graveside service.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to any organization or program dedicated to the care, education, and inclusion of children of all abilities, a cause that reflected Rodger’s lifelong passion. Condolences may be shared online at weberfuneralhome.com.
