Richard Schmaedeke was a longtime south suburban funeral director whose family-run business handled arrangements for countless area passings for more than 80 years.
Former colleagues recalled Schmaedeke’s high standards and his desire to serve grieving families well.
“Two things stand out: His class and professionalism,” said Pat Kearney, who worked for Schmaedeke for about a dozen years as a funeral director and embalmer. “You hear that all the time, but that was what really went on (with Dick).”
Schmaedeke, 86, died of natural causes on Aug. 26 at his Palos Park home, said his sister-in-law, Mary Kay Wall.
Born and raised in Orland Park, Schmaedeke was the grandson of German immigrants and was the son of Orville and Martha Schmaedeke, who teamed up with a business partner, Eugene Harris, to open the Harris-Schmaedeke Funeral Home in Joliet in 1936.
Two years later, Orville and Martha Schmaedeke opened their own funeral home based in their Orland Park home, which was the first funeral home in Orland Park. The couple in 1959 then opened their flagship location at 107th Street and Harlem Avenue in Worth.
Schmaedeke graduated in 1957 from Carl Sandburg High School in Orland Park, and after that served in the Air Force Reserves and attended Bradley University. He also graduated from the Worsham College of Mortuary Science in Wheeling.
In 1963, Schmaedeke joined his family’s business. For the next five decades, he was a funeral director and licensed embalmer at the Schmaedeke Funeral Home, and he became president and CEO in 1980. His wife, Janeen, worked with him for more than 30 years as the funeral home’s administrator.
“He really came to appreciate the ministry of being a funeral director,” Wall said. “He saw the impact of the rituals and the respect and just honoring a person’s life.”
George Mrazek, who owns a family funeral livery business, worked with Schmaedeke for 35 years.
“I was 18 when I started working with Dick, and it was a baptism by fire with him,” Mrazek said. “Dick did an amazing job for the families that he served. And the quality of work was really noteworthy. He expected a lot, but he provided a lot, and I learned pretty quickly what standards he was setting. I had to reach up and meet those.”
Mrazek recalled Schmaedeke’s generosity with his community and his attention to detail and serving the families who were his customers.
“My employees learned quickly that there was a Dick Schmaedeke way, you know, bring your A game. If you were going to his funeral home, you had to bring your A game,” Mrazek said. “He was an old-school guy that when somebody came to his funeral home, he … wanted to make sure that that family was taken care of in a way that regardless of what their demographic or economic background was, when they came to Schmaedeke, they had a five-star experience.”
Schmaedeke and his wife retired in 2014, and sold their Harlem Avenue funeral home to another operator. That operator then sold the funeral business to funeral director Philip Maher, who continues to operate the Schmaedeke Funeral Home name with offices in a separate funeral home in Palos Hills.
However, the physical building on Harlem Avenue in Worth that housed Schmaedeke’s longtime funeral home was sold to a different entity, which last year razed the building, Wall said.
Schmaedeke also served on the boards of Palos Area Chamber of Commerce and the Orland Park Area Chamber of Commerce, as well as the Palos Bank.
Outside of work, Schmaedeke had many interests, including sailing, dancing, playing the drums and traveling. Even in retirement, he continued to “really live to make other people’s lives better,” Wall said.
“Maybe it was his own nature or the job he had, but he would notice what people needed and he would gift people in surprising ways,” she said. “He had a real grace about himself and he really didn’t crave the spotlight for himself.”
A first marriage ended in divorce. In addition to his wife and sister-in-law, Schmaedeke is survived by a son, Randy; a daughter, Rhonda Waneka; a stepson, Patrick Barnes; a stepdaughter, Kara Westphal; five grandchildren; five step-grandchildren; and a great-granddaughter.
A service was held.
Bob Goldsborough is a freelance reporter.
Richard Schmaedeke was a longtime funeral director whose family-run business handled arrangements out of Orland Park and Worth.
Richard Schmaedeke was a longtime south suburban funeral director whose family-run business handled arrangements for countless area passings for more than 80 years.
Former colleagues recalled Schmaedeke’s high standards and his desire to serve grieving families well.
“Two things stand out: His class and professionalism,” said Pat Kearney, who worked for Schmaedeke for about a dozen years as a funeral director and embalmer. “You hear that all the time, but that was what really went on (with Dick).”
Schmaedeke, 86, died of natural causes on Aug. 26 at his Palos Park home, said his sister-in-law, Mary Kay Wall.
Born and raised in Orland Park, Schmaedeke was the grandson of German immigrants and was the son of Orville and Martha Schmaedeke, who teamed up with a business partner, Eugene Harris, to open the Harris-Schmaedeke Funeral Home in Joliet in 1936.
Two years later, Orville and Martha Schmaedeke opened their own funeral home based in their Orland Park home, which was the first funeral home in Orland Park. The couple in 1959 then opened their flagship location at 107th Street and Harlem Avenue in Worth.
Schmaedeke graduated in 1957 from Carl Sandburg High School in Orland Park, and after that served in the Air Force Reserves and attended Bradley University. He also graduated from the Worsham College of Mortuary Science in Wheeling.
In 1963, Schmaedeke joined his family’s business. For the next five decades, he was a funeral director and licensed embalmer at the Schmaedeke Funeral Home, and he became president and CEO in 1980. His wife, Janeen, worked with him for more than 30 years as the funeral home’s administrator.
“He really came to appreciate the ministry of being a funeral director,” Wall said. “He saw the impact of the rituals and the respect and just honoring a person’s life.”
George Mrazek, who owns a family funeral livery business, worked with Schmaedeke for 35 years.
“I was 18 when I started working with Dick, and it was a baptism by fire with him,” Mrazek said. “Dick did an amazing job for the families that he served. And the quality of work was really noteworthy. He expected a lot, but he provided a lot, and I learned pretty quickly what standards he was setting. I had to reach up and meet those.”
Mrazek recalled Schmaedeke’s generosity with his community and his attention to detail and serving the families who were his customers.
“My employees learned quickly that there was a Dick Schmaedeke way, you know, bring your A game. If you were going to his funeral home, you had to bring your A game,” Mrazek said. “He was an old-school guy that when somebody came to his funeral home, he … wanted to make sure that that family was taken care of in a way that regardless of what their demographic or economic background was, when they came to Schmaedeke, they had a five-star experience.”
Schmaedeke and his wife retired in 2014, and sold their Harlem Avenue funeral home to another operator. That operator then sold the funeral business to funeral director Philip Maher, who continues to operate the Schmaedeke Funeral Home name with offices in a separate funeral home in Palos Hills.
However, the physical building on Harlem Avenue in Worth that housed Schmaedeke’s longtime funeral home was sold to a different entity, which last year razed the building, Wall said.
Schmaedeke also served on the boards of Palos Area Chamber of Commerce and the Orland Park Area Chamber of Commerce, as well as the Palos Bank.
Outside of work, Schmaedeke had many interests, including sailing, dancing, playing the drums and traveling. Even in retirement, he continued to “really live to make other people’s lives better,” Wall said.
“Maybe it was his own nature or the job he had, but he would notice what people needed and he would gift people in surprising ways,” she said. “He had a real grace about himself and he really didn’t crave the spotlight for himself.”
A first marriage ended in divorce. In addition to his wife and sister-in-law, Schmaedeke is survived by a son, Randy; a daughter, Rhonda Waneka; a stepson, Patrick Barnes; a stepdaughter, Kara Westphal; five grandchildren; five step-grandchildren; and a great-granddaughter.
A service was held.
Bob Goldsborough is a freelance reporter.
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