William Schmitt

William C. “Red” Schmitt, 94, of Godfrey, longtime wrestling coach at Granite City High School, died Saturday, August 27, 2016, at Alton Memorial Hospital after a brief illness.His family and friends knew him by many names: Bill, Papa, Daddy, Smitty or Schmitty, and Coach Schmitt, but he was most widely known as Red, a high school nickname that endured long after his hair changed color.Red graduated in 1940 from Alton High School, where he was a champion wrestler. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Shurtleff College and a master’s from University of Illinois.  He began coaching at Western Military Academy in 1947 and moved to Granite City High School in 1951, where he remained for 35 years.An icon in high school wrestling, Red was beloved by his students and honored throughout Granite City, Illinois and the nation. His GCHS Warriors won the 1965 IHSA State Championship, for which he received the keys to the city and an Award of Merit in Sports Illustrated. The first high school coach in the nation to surpass 600 wins, Red achieved 602 dual and 106 tournament wins during his career.  The Nat’l High School Athletic Coaches Assoc. named him Coach of the Year (1977) and inducted him into its Hall of Fame (1993).  Additional hall of fame inductions include: Ill. Wrestling Coaches & Officials, Nat’l Fed. of State HS Assoc’s, Nat’l Wrestling Coaches, St. Louis Sports, Granite City Sports and Alton HS Sports.  Red worked to improve the sport by serving on the executive committees of the Ill. and Nat’l Wrestling Coaches associations. More than a dozen of his wrestlers went on to become successful wrestling coaches themselves.A proud WWII Army veteran, Red served in the invasion and occupation of Anzio, Italy. This started his lifelong love of all things Italian, including operas and Pavarotti, chianti and comical attempts to speak the language.  He returned to Italy half a dozen times with his family, trying out his Italian, and especially enjoyed his last trip with his two daughters in 2006 when he visited the Anzio Museum and curator Alfredo, awestruck by meeting a WWII vet, honored Red with a personal tour of the city and a pasta lunch at his sister’s seaside restaurant. He was a master storyteller with an amazing memory for details, recalling names and events of long ago with humor and wit. He was also a talented cartoonist; during his WWII service, the Army and Alton Telegraph published his cartoons about GI life.Having touched many lives, Red was warmly greeted by someone who knew him wherever he traveled. Recently a 1952 GCHS grad, elated to see Red at a local restaurant, thanked him for changing his life and insisted on buying his dinner. Red lived life to the fullest. He remained active after retiring in 1985, continuing to serve on wrestling committees and refereeing football games. A board member of the Alton Road Runners, he participated in many half-marathons and 10K races across the country and set national records for his age group including wins in the Senior Olympics. He slowed down to a walk in his mid-80s and enjoyed hikes at La Vista Park and The Nature Institute and along the River Road. At the age of 94, he was still playing golf, meeting his buddies for morning coffee and, with his wife of 70 years, Helen (Wickenhauser), he took Sunday drives to Grafton, attended concerts and frequented JoeKs for breakfast.His spirit is carried on by his wife, Helen; two daughters, Jan (Greg) Ellis of Bloomington, IN, and Karen Seltzer (Scott Bell) of Indianapolis, IN; three grandchildren, Will Seltzer of Oakland, CA, Elaine Ellis (Julien Pinol) of San Francisco, CA, and Karen (Blake) Ward of Charlestown, IN; and 6-week-old great-grandchild, Quinton Ward. His brother, Ron, of Urbana also survives him; Red was preceded in death by his parents, Clarence and Nettie (King), his brother, Jim, and his sister, Betty Horney. A memorial celebration will be held on October 9, 2016, from 2 pm to 4 pm, at Hatheway Gallery on the campus of Lewis & Clark College in Godfrey.Memorials may be made to The Nature Institute, 2213 S. Levis Lane, Godfrey, IL 62035, or to Granite City High School,  designated for the William “Red” Schmitt Holiday Wrestling Tournament, 3101 Madison Ave., Granite City, IL 62040.  Online condolences and guest book may be found on the website of Elias, Kallal and Schaaf Funeral Home in Godfrey: www.eliaskallalandschaaf.com.

Obit Provided By:
Elias, Kallal & Schaaf Funeral Home