Curt Schmidt

Curtice “Curt” William Schmidt, age 74, a lifelong resident of Prior Lake, Minnesota, passed away on August 23, 2026. He was born on November 4, 1951, and was a loving father, grandfather, carpenter, and lifelong fisherman who found some of his greatest joy in the simple moments spent with the people he loved most.

A Visitation will be held from 10:00 AM–10:45 AM with a Memorial Service following at 11:00 AM, on Friday, September 18, 2026, at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, 5634 Luther Rd SE, Prior Lake, MN 55372. Pastor Tom Trapp will preside.

Curt married his high school sweetheart, Deb, and together they had three beautiful boys, Jon, Ben, and Jake. Although their marriage later ended in divorce, the family they created remained one of the most important parts of Curt’s life.

A graduate of Prior Lake High School, Class of 1969, Curt proudly served on the Prior Lake Fire Department. He was a carpenter by trade and took pride in working with his hands and building things that would last. Curt was an accomplished athlete in his younger years and later enjoyed coaching his boys in sports throughout their childhood.

Curt’s love of ice fishing, was a huge part of his life. He could spend countless hours out on the ice, and there was rarely a better place for him to be. He loved teaching his boys all of his fishing secrets, techniques, and stories. What meant even more to him was watching his sons pass that same wisdom down to their own children. Ice fishing became more than a hobby—it became a family tradition and a way for generations to stay connected.

Curt was blessed with twelve grandchildren: Zack, Will, Josef, Anikah, Bodie, Bailey, Daphne, Autumn, C.J., Mindy, Bradley, and Ethan. His grandchildren brought him an incredible amount of happiness and pride. One of his greatest joys was watching his boys become dads themselves. He was incredibly proud of the men they became and cherished every visit from his grandchildren.

Although life gave Curt many challenges, he continued to meet them with a smile, kindness, humor, and dignity. His easy-going personality and genuine kindness afforded him many friends throughout his life. He enjoyed visits from family and friends and treasured the time spent with the people who meant the most to him.

Curt will be remembered for the knowledge he shared, the traditions he created, his love of ice fishing and sports, his sense of humor, and most of all, the love and pride he had for his family. His legacy will live on through his sons, grandchildren, and all the fishing stories, lessons, and memories they will continue to share for generations to come.

Curt was preceded in death by his son, Jon; his parents, Butch and Arlene Schmidt; his brother, Jeff “Buck” Schmidt; infant sister, Ann; grandparents, aunts, uncles, brother-in-law Doug Berg; and many friends.

He will be forever loved and missed by his sons, Ben (Vanessa) and Jake (Melisa); his grandchildren; his siblings, Steve (Pat) Schmidt, Lyle Schmidt, Chris Berg, and Lori (Dave) Heinz; and all of his relatives and friends.

A special thank you to Pastor Tom Trapp for providing spiritual support during his many visits.

The family would also like to extend a heartfelt thank you to the staff at Apple Valley Village for the care, kindness, and compassion they showed Curt during his time there. They made him feel at home and, more importantly, made him feel like part of their family. Their kindness and friendship meant so much to Curt and his family, and they will always be grateful for the love they showed him.

In honor of Curt, let us remember him through the simple kindness he showed others. Let’s demonstrate kindness every day.

Curt will be deeply missed, forever loved, and never forgotten.