Jason Schmidt

Jason Schmidt, 53, of Flossmoor, IL, passed on Wednesday, August 6, 2025, surrounded by his loving family. Jason was diagnosed with a rare cancer in 2022 and, despite a dire prognosis, survived a remarkable 2-1/2 years to become the longest-known survivor of his type of cancer. He endured all treatments with his often satirical sense of humor. His family and healthcare team alike were consistently amazed by his strength, tenacity and concern for his loved ones first, despite every challenge.

Jason began his career at Mi-Jack Products in 1990 and spent over thirty years there, working as a Manufacturing Engineer. He co-invented four U.S. Registered patents, and co-authored multiple published technical journal articles relative to Mi-Jack Products. His guys at work were special to him for so many years – he thought of them as his second family.

He enjoyed many interests from scuba diving to military aircraft, movies, and had an extensive library on a large variety of topics. He was kind, funny, loved to laugh and had a remarkable memory. Most of all, he relished the sports teams of his native Pittsburgh, PA. He was possibly the most significant collector of the Terrible Towel, amassing an impressive collection.

He is survived by his parents, Harv and Trish, his sister, Karyn, and his brother and sister-in-law, Ryan and Sherry.

A Celebration of Life Service for Jason will be held on Monday, September 8, 2025 from 1-7 p.m. at Colonial Chapel, 15525 South 73rd Avenue, Orland Park, IL 60462.

Donations to the Cancer Support Center, www.cancersupportcenter.org, or the Kidney Cancer Association, www.kidneycancer.org, in Jason's memory, are gratefully appreciated by the family.