Paul Lavern Schmitz passed away on April 27, 2026, in College Park, Maryland after an extended illness.
Born to Frank and Irene (Barrett) Schmitz, he grew up in Merna, Nebraska and spent his youth tending the family ranch. He graduated from Merna High School in 1962. From 1963 until 1967 he served in the United States Air Force and was awarded a Commendation Medal for his service. Later, on the GI bill, he attended Chadron State College, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration and economics in 1970.
Paul married June Zelno in 1970 and they moved to Colorado, where he embarked on a career in finance at the Federal Reserve Bank of Denver. In the mid 1970s they settled in the DC metropolitan area, where he worked for both commercial banks and the state and federal government. He completed graduate courses in finance from the University of Maryland University College. He served as Deputy Treasurer for the State of Maryland’s Treasurer’s Office from the 1990s until 2001 and went on to serve as a Financial Program Specialist for the U.S. Department of Treasury until his retirement in 2013.
His upbringing gave him the gifts of humility, kindness, and practical wisdom.
He is preceded in death by his parents, and sisters: Mary Schmitz, Yvonne Herman, Agnes Meyerring, Anne Finnefrock, and brothers: Francis, Gaylord, and Bob. He leaves behind wife June (College Park, Maryland), son Luke (Hyattsville, Maryland), daughter Stephanie (Lafayette, Indiana), sister Catherine Schmitz (Littleton, Colorado) and many nieces and nephews.
A Mass of Christian Burial was held at Holy Redeemer Catholic Church in College Park, Maryland on Tuesday, May 5th at 11:00 AM. A memorial mass will be held at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Broken Bow, Nebraska on Saturday, July 11th at 11:00 AM. Interment will be at Arlington National Cemetery.
