Obituary of Tony Schimpf

Anthony “Tony” Schimpf was born in Chicago, Illinois on October 23, 1943 to Anthony A. Schimpf and Leona Tinnes. The oldest of five children, Tony grew up on the West Side of Chicago and later in Elmwood Park, Illinois. He attended St. Celestine Elementary School and Elmwood Park High School. He was an active and hard-working young man and always had a job to earn extra money. He attended Eastern Illinois University to pursue a degree in Education like is mother. He excelled at sports and competed in numerous swimming and water polo competitions. He was a member of Sigma Tau Gamma fraternity and enjoyed campus life greatly. During the summers he worked for the Chicago Park District as a lifeguard at Montrose Beach. It was there he met his future wife, Wally. They were happy and stayed together for life. He also made a great group of lifelong friends who continued to gather weekly for more than fifty years. His years spent as lifeguard and later as beach manager were some of his most enjoyable. Tony and Wally married on July 28, 1965 and resided in a fashionable Near Northside neighborhood in Chicago. Their daughter, Laura came along in 1968. He taught public school on the South and West Sides. Tony then completed a Master’s degree and started teaching and coaching at Northeastern Illinois University. He earned his Doctorate in Education from Western Colorado University and was promoted to Professor. He displayed leadership ability and was promoted to Department Chair until his retirement in 2002. During his tenure he raised thousands of dollars for scholarship endowments. He was commended for distinguished service and awarded Professor Emeritus status. After retirement he enjoyed spending time with friends and family, visiting his summer home in Michigan, and traveling to Europe and the U.S. National Parks. He and Wally moved to Portland, Oregon in 2016 to be near their daughter, settling in the Reedwood neighborhood. Tony was an energetic, humorous, affectionate, generous, fun-loving person. He enjoyed swimming, walking, time with friends, good food and wine. He liked to help people and take care of his home and family. Tony passed away on February 23, 2022 after complications following an accident. His wife and daughter were at his side. A celebration of life is planned for this summer in Chicago.