Stephen Paul Schmieder, 62, of Athens, passed away on Saturday, March 11th, 2023, at his residence. Mr. Schmieder was born on March 18th, 1960, to William Paul and Catherine Schmieder.
Mr. Schmieder is survived by his wife Martha Gordon Schmieder; sons Will Schmieder and Carlton Schmieder; sisters Karen Ellis (Keith) and Mary O’Halloran (Matt); nieces Jill Varnagatas, Haley Ellis, and Erin O’Halloran; and Nephew Liam O’Halloran.
He was preceded in death by his father, William Paul Schmieder and mother, Catherine Schmieder.
Stephen, who went by Steve, graduated from Athens High school in 1978. He went on to attend Auburn University for a period and finished his degree from UAH in Industrial Engineering. He continued his education with a master’s degree in industrial engineering also from UAH.
Retiring in 2020, Steve concluded a 34-year career at NASA, serving mainly as the Solid Rocket Motor Nozzle Subsystem manager where he provided direct contributions to the success of the Space Shuttle, SLS and Artemis programs. Steve was always supporting others, sharing experiences in health diagnosis – a true beacon of hope.
Outside of work, Steve had a passion for the outdoors. He was very proud of being an Eagle Scout. He loved spending time on the water, whether it be boating, skiing or just enjoying a peaceful day on or by the Elk River with his family. He also enjoyed snow skiing out West and collecting the ski maps.
He enjoyed watching his sons play whatever sports they were involved in at that moment. In his free time, you would catch him in the back yard listening to his extensive playlist throwing the tennis ball for the family dog, Max.
A memorial service will be held at Limestone Chapel Funeral Home in Athens Saturday, March 25th, at 2:00 pm. Visitation will take place from 12:00-2:00pm at Limestone Chapel Funeral Home.
In lieu of flowers, the family request donations be made to Hospice of Limestone County or St. Paul’s Catholic Church.
