John “Mike” M. Schmitt

April 27, 1939 – March 3, 2025

John Michael Schmitt, 85, Carmel, born on April 27, 1939, made his final journey to the Lord March 3, 2025.

He is preceded in death by his wife, Nannette Toups Schmitt of 54 years; daughter, Lisa; his parents, Richard B. Schmitt and Alice Manning Schmitt; and brother, Lawrence Schmitt.

He is survived by his daughter, Erin (Jack) Beery; grandsons, Britt Beery and Bryce Beery; daughter, Deborah Schmitt; cousins, John (Nancy) Wolf, Fritz (Sharon) Kreutzinger; brothers-in-law, Peter (Denise) Toups and Prosper (Beverly) Toups; sister-in-law, Fay Toups; as well as many nieces and nephews.

“Mike” was a true American hero. He grew up in Indianapolis, graduating from Cathedral H.S. 1957. He then went on to Xavier University (Class of 1961). He was a member the Knights of Columbus as a 4th degree Knight.

After college he joined the Army and was stationed in Huntsville, Ala., as an Army intelligence agent.

In 1962, Mike was instrumental in the desegregation of the University of Mississippi when he went undercover as a student guarding James Meredith at the Ole Miss riot of 1962. With the start of the NASA space program as an Army Intelligence agent, he interviewed Dr. Werner Von Braun.

In 1963, he was honored with a position in President John F. Kennedy’s Honor Guard Armed Forces Day in 1963 and again on Veterans Day in Washington, D.C.

The most important event in his Army career was when Mike met Nan at the community center over the pool table. They got married in Houma, La., in 1964.

Mike was a businessman working various executive positions in Tampa, West Palm Beach, Homestead, and Miami, Fla. He took a position with the Michelin Tire company, which brought him to Clermont-Ferrand, France, for three years, then on to Greenville, S.C.

Mike and Nan eventually came back to his hometown, Indianapolis, in 1979 and then settled in Crooked Stick in Carmel.

When he returned to Indy, he worked for Bio Dynamics (now Roche DX). At the request of his father, he then started working with the family Insurance business, eventually taking over the Richard B Schmitt Agency.

Mike had many other hobbies. He started ironworking and forged several pieces that are still located around Indy. One was the Bronzed Lilies on the Eli Lilly Mausoleum in Crown Hill Cemetery and above the Space Quest dome at the children’s museum, the sphere of Earth.

After 16 years in Florida, Mike and Nan returned to Carmel to be with family, especially the two grandsons Britt and Bryce. Mike loved going down to Bloomington to watch Britt play football at Indiana University.

In 2018, Mike lost the love of his life Nan. Mike spent time with the St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Choir and weekly lunches with the guys, that kept him busy.

His faith as a Roman Catholic was the most important thing to him, and he spent his last years as a scholar of Catholic history. Till we meet again, Captain Papa Mike.

Memorial contributions can be made to The Carmel Dads’ Club.

A Funeral Mass will be held at 10:30 a.m. Friday, March 14, 2025, at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church, 10655 Haverstick Road, Carmel. A Visitation for family and friends will be held at 9 a.m. until time of Mass on March 14, 2025, at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton. A graveside service will follow at Oaklawn Memorial Gardens Cemetery.

Condolences: flannerbuchanan.com