Leland John Schmidt, 73, passed away at 3:28 AM on June 10th, 2023, a day after being transferred from Evergreen Hospital to Evergreen Hospice Care in Kirkland, WA.

Leland had recently returned (5-22 to 5-27-2023) from a planned trip to Anchorage, Alaska where he went to take photos of airplanes (part of his lifelong boat / plane photography hobby).  Somehow, on the date he was to return, he injured himself on an escalator requiring a trip to an ER (stiches), which delayed his return trip by a day.  Due to subsequent unknown factors (e.g., tired from trip or accident, weakness, infection), he remained at home.  His health then rapidly declined forcing an admission (6-2) to Evergreen Hospital in Kirkland.  Following friend visitations (6-6 & 6-8), he was sadly removed from life-support and passed away just two days later.

Leland had been diagnosed with colon cancer over 5 years ago and had colon resection surgery. Unfortunately, his cancer metastasized (his condition classified as terminal). Yet, due to an experimental drug treatment program he was placed on, he felt his cancer might have been put on hold.  His spirits seemed high during the two months prior to his Alaskan trip — which his text message to a friend mid-trip suggested he was enjoying (a good memory).

Leland's EARLY Days (check out the photo gallery):  The Schmidt home sat on a HILL high above the ferry landing overlooking Elliot Point and Lighthouse Park, at the north point of Mukilteo — with a 180-degree view of Puget Sound.  If you were to look from the top of a tall tree, you could see all the way to Everett (right) and almost all the way to Seattle (left).  While growing up, Leland and several neighborhood boys (e.g., the Losvar brothers — Tom, Jim, and Dave) became infatuated with the water traffic (boats and naval ships) and tugboats pulling and pushing barges of freshly cut trees on their way to pulp, shingle, saw, and paper mills in Everett.

At age 14, Leland built a tree house on the corner of his family home which he used to track and document boat traffic — which became almost an obsession.  Art Losvar owned a boathouse (where the Losvar Condo is today) at the Mukilteo waterfront next to Taylor's Landing which housed his Evinrude outboard motor dealership and repair shop, pleasure boat building shop, and rental outlet.  He also had been heavily involved in outboard motorboat racing (later setting a 2002 speed record).  He encouraged his three sons and other local boy's involvement (and to enter competitive races on Lake Washington and in Oregon) with racing boats the boys built themselves, often with the mechanical assistance of close friend Jim Hallum.  Later, Leland's love for tracking boat traffic led to a 35-year career as a Dispatcher with Foss Maritime (tug builder). And with Paine Field and Boeing's twin isle Everett airplane assembly plant about 3 miles from his home, he also became a dedicated AvGeek after retiring from Foss.

Leland, born in Everett, WA, graduated from Cascade High School (1968) and the University of Washington (business administration).  He later worked for Foss Maritime Company as a tug dispatcher which, for him, was a dream job.  In 2012, he retired from Foss after 35 years (shortly after his mother passed away).

Leland was preceded in death by his father, John Anthony Schmidt (1914-1962 / 47) and his mother, Edith Viola Anderson Schmidt (1916-2012 / 95), and many  uncles, aunts, and cousins.  John was the manager of Farmer's Feed Company on Rucker Avenue across from the Everett Clinic. John was diagnosed with a brain  tumor (terminal) in about 1957 which was followed by 5 difficult years for the family.  He passed away when Leland (an only child) was just 12.  Edith went on to work for years with Everett's Simpson Paper Mill (closed in 1972) and later Kimberly Clark.

Leland is survived by Cousin's Barbara Olson Greenleaf (Everett) plus her son    Michael Greenleaf (Everett) and two daughters, Lori Greenleaf Evans (Edmonds)  and Kim Greenleaf Temple (Lake Stevens); Fred Albert Schmidt (Clovis, CA), Albert Frank Schmidt (Bandon, OR), and Jack M. Schmidt (Lake Havasu city, AZ); and numerous other cousins, nieces, and "Goddaughters".

Leland lived in the Schmidt family home at 408 Church Avenue, Mukilteo, WA from birth until death. Over many rough health years that followed toward the end of Leland's life, the dedicated support of 4 loyal ladies really stood out.  This included Cousin Lori Greenleaf Evans; former wife Sheryl Landry; neighbor Kim Brinkley Cotter (who Leland nicknamed "KBC" and the "cat lady") who cared for neighborhood cats — but in particular — provided extensive care to his beloved cat Roscoe who passed away (cancer) 1-4-2023; and business and friend connection Julie Raupp (their ticketed dream hot air balloon trip never got off   the ground—too windy).

Leland will be buried at Everett's Evergreen Cemetery in a family plot along with his father and mother — burial service date yet to be determined. An informal "celebration of life" may also be scheduled at a local restaurant at a later date.  BWM