Michael Thomas Schmidt, age 55, of Lenexa, Kansas, passed away on April 20, 2026 at home.
Mike was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin to Thomas & Marcia Schmidt, and was the youngest of three children with two older sisters, Gretchen and Christen Schmidt. He grew up at Lake Quivira in the Kansas City area and loved his childhood there. After attending the University of Kansas and receiving a bachelor’s degree in English, he worked in several industries before finding his passion in the freight industry, where he excelled. He most recently worked at Redstone Logistics where he enjoyed making connections with people and carriers.
The most important part of Mike’s life was his family, whom he loved deeply. He reconnected with Christina Nycz while they were both living in Chicago, and they were married in 1999. They bought their first home in Chicago and had their first child, Nicholas, in 2001. Eventually they moved back to Kansas City and had their second child, Caroline, in 2003. Mike and Christina were married nearly 27 years.
Mike was an exceptional husband, dad, and friend. He was smart, always gave great life advice, was patient, and never had a cross word to say about anybody. He always wanted any interactions he had with others to make their day better. He was calm, gentle, and steady. He was exceptionally proud of his children.
One of his favorite things was the annual Schmidt family vacation which he loved to plan and research. He would buy and study books about their destinations and design the details and excursions. He and his family were fortunate to travel to Paris and Florence in the fall of 2025, but his favorite trips were an RV trip to Yellowstone and a family trip to Utah. Mike appreciated nature, animals, and the outdoors.
Mike was a talented guitar player and was proud to have played in several bands, and still talked about how his band opened at Yallapalooza. He loved the game of golf, and was an ardent fan of the Green Bay Packers, KU basketball, and the Kansas City Royals. He enjoyed grilling and smoking meat. He and his friends competed in the Lenexa BBQ on two separate occasions. He liked to read and work in his yard. He had a terrific group of friends whom he had known for many years and he always enjoyed spending his time with them.
Mike was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in November of 2024. He met his diagnosis with grace and grit. Despite countless treatments and complications, he never complained or asked, “Why me?”
Mike was an exceptional man and we will miss him more than words can convey. Mike was preceded in death by his mother, Marcia Nan Schmidt, who died in 2025. He is survived by his wife Christina, son Nicholas, and daughter Caroline; father Thomas, sister Gretchen Landherr (Curtis), and sister Christen Moore (Andrew); parents-in-law Joseph & Mary Nycz; brother-in-law Patrick Nycz (Cindy), sister-in-law Tracy Nycz; nephews Ben Landherr, Jack Moore, Eli Moore, Tyler Nycz, Charlie Nycz, and Ryan Esposito, and nieces Maggie Landherr, Rebecca Landherr, Katie Moore, and Chelsea Esposito. He has numerous aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends whom he cherished. He also leaves behind his beloved dog, Buster, and cat, Onyx.
We wish to thank Dr. Raed Al Rajabi and his team at the University of Kansas Cancer Center for giving us hope and expert guidance. We are grateful for his care.
A Celebration of Life will be held on Saturday, June 6, 2026 from 12:00 – 2:00 p.m. at the Lake Quivira Clubhouse, Lake Quivira, Kansas. Memorial contributions may be made to PanCan.org to help fight pancreatic cancer.
