Florence Helen Schmidt

Calling the shots until her death at her Vero Beach home on Friday evening, April 27, she leaves behind her only daughter, Gail D. Rodgers (Robert) of Vero Beach & Metamora, MI.; her four granddaughters, Laura Kelley of Vero Beach, FL, Linda Podgorski (David) of Metamora, MI; Launa DesPortes (Richard) of Columbus, GA and Licia Beemer (Andrew) of Lake Orion, MI. and 10 much loved great-grandchildren Justin, Nicholas, Jeremy and Jacob Podgorski of Metamora, MI.; William DesPortes, Emily Badcock and Lucy DesPortes of Columbus, GA and Isabella, Sophia and Samuel Beemer of Lake Orion, MI.Born in Detroit, Michigan to parents Frank and Eva Hubert , she was predeceased in death by her husband of 41 years, Samuel S. Schmidt in 1976, her beloved son, Bernard S. Schmidt, who died in 2004, and great grandson, Brandon Podgorski (1989) along with her parents and 12 brothers
and sisters.Lovingly referred to by family and friends as Grandma Dynamite, she was a woman before her time. An entrepreneur and accomplished businesswoman, she enjoyed world travel, hunting, fishing, boating and skeet shooting. Fiercely independent, she could out fish, out hunt and out shoot her competitive circle of mostly male team mates and friends. A National Skeet shooting Champion, she was inducted into the Michigan Amateur Sports Hall of Fame in 1986 and was the first female shareholder in the Detroit Gun Club.Before moving to Vero Beach in 1966, she ran several successful businesses, along with her husband, most notably in the Michigan tool and die industry. In Florida their retirement interests ranged from raising cattle to developing low cholesterol beef and health foods.Her life was celebrated at her 90th birthday party in December with family and friends. At her request, there will be no visitation or funeral service. Memorial contributions may be made to the charity of your choice.