Patricia Ann Schmidt, 74, of Toms River, passed away peacefully Wednesday, July 15th. “Patty” was born on July 1st, 1952, to John and Catherine Murphy in Brooklyn, NY. She was the middle of three siblings and is survived by her younger brother, John Dan Murphy, her two children, William Schmidt and Kerry Domanski, and their spouses, Kendra and Chris, respectively. She was “Mema” to her only grandchild, Caleb Schmidt.

Patty and her family moved from Brooklyn to South Toms River in the 1950’s. She would make Toms River her lifelong home with her soulmate, William “Bill” Schmidt, whom she met on the Seaside Heights Boardwalk in the late 1960’s and would wed on August 7th, 1976.

Patty earned her Bachelor’s in Education from Glassboro State in 1974. She began her teaching career immediately thereafter in the Little Egg Harbor School District, where she taught grades 3, 4, and basic skills across a career that spanned over 35 years. She earned her master’s degree from Georgian Court College in the mid-1980’s, but if asked, would tell you she was equally as proud of her academic accomplishments as she was in raising her two children, Will and Kerry. Always generous and gregarious by nature, Patty developed many friendships and loved and cherished all her “girlfriends.” It was impossible not to love her back. She was the definition of what it means to be a great friend.

The viewing for Patty will be held at Kedz Funeral Home in Toms River on Friday, July 17th from 3-6 PM. There will be a mass in her remembrance the following day at 9 AM at St. Joseph’s Church in Toms River, followed immediately by her burial at St. Joseph’s Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, the family has asked mourners to provide a donation in support of treating, preventing, and curing Alzheimer’s disease. Some suggested charitable foundations are listed below:

Alzheimer’ Research Foundation: https://www.alzheimersresearchfoundation.com/

Alzheimer’s Association: https://www.alz.org/

Alzheimer’s Foundation of America: https://alzfdn.org