Life story: Priest made a big impact in a short time

A priest credited with "re-energizing" the parish of St. John the Evangelist in Streamwood has died unexpectedly.

"We're all heartbroken here," Mary Ellen Billmeyer, principal of St. John the Evangelist School, said Tuesday. "He had re-energized the whole parish."

The Rev. Theodore Schmitt, 70, had a life that qualified for biography, and he was reportedly working on one when he died.

Schmitt had been an English teacher, a teacher and football coach at Driscoll High School in Addison, an avid amateur boxer, a college scout, and a nearly 20-year employee for Universal Studios - hobnobbing with some great stars - before he entered the seminary at age 53.

He died Dec. 6 at his parish rectory in Streamwood. Only a week prior, Schmitt was downstate with the Nazareth Academy football team, for which he was chaplain, when the Roadrunners won the Class 6A state championship.

Ordained in 2002, Schmitt began his ministry as an associate pastor at St. James Church in Arlington Heights before accepting the pastorate at St. Monica Parish in Chicago.

He came to St. John in 2010, and right from the start, staff members say, he worked to motivate parishioners and heighten the visibility of the church and school.

"We were almost going to close because of low enrollment," said MaryAlice Benoit, director of communications and strategic planning for St. John, "but he was devoted to the school. He poured his heart and soul into it."

Just last month, Schmitt accompanied Billmeyer to Washington D.C., to accept the school's Blue Ribbon Award for Excellence from the U.S. Department of Education.

"He was so proud, he was like a new grandpa," Billmeyer said. "When he came here, he told me we needed to put Streamwood - and this great church and school - on the map."

She added that enrollment in the school has grown by more than 100 students since Schmitt arrived, and the Blue Ribbon award has given the school even more credibility.

"He believed in Catholic education," Billmeyer added, "and that if you worked with children at a young age, they will be our next generation of leaders."

Schmitt also was chaplain to the football team at St. Patrick High School in Chicago and to the Streamwood police and fire departments.

"We were blessed to have Father Ted as part of our program for the last several years, and not just this last magical season, where we went undefeated and won the state championship," said Nazareth head coach Tim Racki. "He said Masses or held prayer services before every game. We considered him part of the team."

Dan Galante, head coach of the St. Patrick Shamrocks, said that Schmitt commanded his players' respect because he not only had coached football at Driscoll, but he also had been a scout for the University of Michigan.

"He could really speak to the kids about football, and about life," Galante said.

At Universal Pictures in Los Angeles, he worked with some big stars, including Robert Redford, Clint Eastwood and Sydney Pollack, and counted director Frank Capra and actor Jack Lemmon as personal friends.

Visitation will be held from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday, before a funeral Mass at 10 a.m. Friday, both at St. John the Evangelist Church, 504 S. Park Ave. in Streamwood.