Barbara Schmidt

Beloved wife and mother of four, Barbara Ann Lingwall Schmidt, passed away Monday, September 28, at Firelands Hospital in Sandusky. She was 79 years old.

Barb was one of the brightest, most creative, and most giving people you could ever meet, with an infectious laugh, endless patience for anyone who needed a sympathetic ear, and a love of potatoes prepared in every conceivable way. She was a woman of deep and abiding faith and an integral, dynamic member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints throughout her life. She lived to show the world what it really looked like to try to follow the teachings of Jesus Christ—in word, but especially in deed.

She never failed to step up with a Sunday School lesson (a greatone, complete with clever handouts and fun stick-figure drawings), a tray of Rice Krispie treats (in which she always used extra butter), or a beautifully sung musical number. No one could harmonize like Mom. Her faith was never something she kept to herself; it was something she gave away, constantly and generously, in a million small acts of service. We will never be able to tally the amount of good she did through those acts—many of which were rarely praised, but all of which made someone else's life a little better, kinder, and more hopeful.

Barb was born in Salt Lake City on March 1, 1947. She graduated from South High School in 1965 and went on to graduate from the University of Utah in 1969. She often recalled singing in the a cappella choir there as one of the best times of her life. Everyone close to her has heard and enjoyed the record the choir made together. After getting her BA in history, she married her high school sweetheart, Ingo Schmidt, in the Salt Lake Temple on August 22, 1969.

Barb, her husband, and their growing family would follow their life's journey all over the place. Married in Salt Lake, Barb and Ingo eventually moved to Maryland, then Alabama, Germany, California, Utah, Massachusetts, and finally Ohio. Everywhere she went, she left behind a trail of friends who laughed with her and loved her.

All those friends will probably remember that Barb was as likely to burst into song as she was to continue a spoken conversation. She loved Broadway musicals and declared that they were the best because the songs allowed you to “really express what you feel.” In Barb's eyes, emotions were all songs waiting to be sung. She will always remain in the minds and hearts of her friends and family as the most exquisite (and catchy!) of songs.

We will hear her voice in our memories, and we will carry her laughter with us for the rest of our lives. Whenever you sing, listen for Barb. She will be there with a pitch-perfect harmony, Barbara Streisand trivia, and a laugh that carries forever.

Those who knew Barb will remember her great faith, her generosity, her patience, and her unfailing willingness to help. She is survived by her husband, Ingo, and her four children, Becky, Brad, Natalie, and Sam; six grandchildren; and one baby great-granddaughter—all of whom will miss her every day.

Funeral Services:

A viewing will be held on Sunday, October 4, from 6:00–8:00 p.m. at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 4511 Galloway Rd., Sandusky, Ohio 44870.

A second viewing will be held on Monday, October 5, from 10:00–10:45 a.m., followed by the funeral service at 11:00 a.m. A luncheon will follow at 12:00 p.m., all at the same location.

There will be an additional viewing and service on Friday, October 9, 2026 at Larkin Mortuary, 260 E. South Temple, Salt Lake City, Utah 84111. The viewing will be from 10-10:45 a.m., and a funeral at 11:00 a.m. Barbara will be laid to rest at the Salt Lake City Cemetery, 200 N St., Salt Lake City, Utah 84103.

Utah funeral services will be live streamed and recorded, click “watch services” to view.