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Obituaries
Graham Theodore Schmidt (OW1951)
21/05/1934 – 22/07/2020
Graham Schmidt credited Wesley College with changing his life. A boarding scholarship for the last four years of school set him on the path to a rewarding medical career, the first university graduate in his family. Graham boarded at Wesley from 1948 until 1951, making life-long friends including Lex Hibbins (OW1953) (dec.), Warwick Mitchell (OW1959), Denis Dowty (OW1953) and John Hicks (OW1953). For 40 years these Wesley ‘boys’ would spend every Melbourne Cup long weekend on a fishing trip, catching few fish, and winning even fewer bets on the horses.
After studying Medicine at the University of Melbourne while a resident of Queen’s College, Graham married Patricia Gellie in 1961, then sailed to London in 1964 for his training in gastroenterology. Patricia was 30 weeks pregnant and Graham, the ship’s only doctor, described the six-week voyage as ‘the craziest thing I’ve ever done.’ The family returned to Melbourne in late 1966 and Graham began work at Prince Henry’s Hospital in St Kilda Road and Box Hill Hospital, and established a private practice in Box Hill.
He was a visiting physician at Prince Henry’s for 24 years until it closed in 1991. At Box Hill Hospital, Graham was head of the General Medical Unit for 18 years from 1970 and became the inaugural head of the Gastroenterology Unit from 1991 until 1998. He retired from Box Hill Hospital in 2012, aged 78; his farewell card stated, ‘You are loved, respected and highly regarded by everyone. You are a true gentleman.’
Similar sentiments were expressed in every message sent to Graham’s family after he died in July. ‘A very caring and compassionate physician; a first-class doctor, trusted and admired by his patients; such a kind, decent man, always interested in people and wanting to help; he was a thoughtful, warm and generous friend.’
Many spoke of their admiration for Graham after Patricia died suddenly in 1995 when he rebuilt his life, learning to cook – including for dinner parties, moving from the family home in East Malvern to an apartment in St Kilda Road and devoting himself to his seven grandchildren.
The one exception to his gentle nature was his fervent support of the Essendon Bombers – his one-eyed barracking was legendary amongst his friends, as was his quick wit, sense of fun and love of a rude birthday card. Graham was also a keen supporter of the Collegians Football Club as a player, committee member and father to past players Jeremy and Nick, and grandfather to current player Charlotte Omond.
Graham is greatly missed by his four children, Lucinda, Jeremy (OW1983), Nick (OW1985), and Rohan (OW1985), his son-in-law James Omond and his daughters-in-law Michelle and Nicole, and his grandchildren, Charlotte (OW2016) and Maggie (OW2019) Omond, and Blake, Annabel, Zara, Lachy and Joshua Schmidt.
Contributed by Lucinda Schmidt