Obituary of Greg Schmidli

Greg Schmidli, of Highlands Ranch, CO.

Husband of Dawn, Father of Ruby.

A Celebration of Life will be held Thursday 2 pm  August 18, 2022, at the Littleton Church of Christ, 6495 S. Colorado Blvd., Centennial, CO.

As a husband, father, son, brother, friend, supervisor, and occasional doctor on restaurant reservations, Greg was deeply loved and uniquely memorable every day of his life until his passing on August 9, 2022. Greg brought so much love to everyone he met in his 68 years, and he lives on through all of the memories and stories of his life that overflows with laughter and joy.

Greg was born on July 9, 1954, to Theodore (Ted) and Willie Mae Schmidli in Klamath Falls, Oregon. He grew up in Tulelake, California with his sisters Linda and Barb, and his brother Doug. While he explored other schools in his teens and 20s, he ultimately graduated from the Metropolitan State University of Denver with his Bachelor's degree in Human Services, and would later graduate from the University of Denver with his Master's degree in Social Work.

In Colorado, Greg met his beloved wife Dawn. He loved to tell a joke to shock people by saying that they met at a psychiatric hospital, where he was a patient and Dawn was his therapist. Over the years, Dawn had come to expect this story when they met new people, so she knew to quickly clarify that actually, they both worked together. The two got married on August 22, 1998, at South Broadway Christian Church in Denver. On May 31, 2001, Greg and Dawn became parents to their greatest joy and accomplishment, their daughter Ruby. Their lives evolved from taking long bike rides together to spending many of their weekends at Ruby's soccer games, and they wouldn't have had it any other way. It was no secret that Greg was proud to be Ruby's dad, and he was especially proud of her when she started her nursing program at Colorado Christian University.

In his professional life, Greg treated thousands of clients at Turning Point Mental Health Services, which he and Dawn owned, operated, and poured their hearts into together for 16 years. Outside of his work with clients, Greg was a Clinical Supervisor to many interns and students who benefitted from his own brand of compassion, care, dedication, humor, and grounding in reality. Many of his interns have gone on to help thousands more people on their own—it's one more way that he will continue to have a positive effect on the lives of those who knew him, and even those who didn't.

Clean and sober for 34 years, Greg also helped countless people find recovery and rediscover their lives. He loved being a part of his recovery fellowship and was never shy about telling his story if he could help improve another person's life through it.

In life, Greg loved his people, his family, his Goldendoodle Bailey, and his mix of Diet Coke and Coke Zero. There was nothing he loved more than lingering over a good meal and laughing with friends, family, and any combination or hybrid of the two—with Dawn and Ruby as his supporting cast. On any given night, Greg loved to dive into a deep, meaningful conversation with the people in his life and a random souvenir cup in his hand. He loved sitting outside on the back patio of his family's home in Highlands Ranch laughing, discussing, and even debating anything on almost any topic—sports, the Bible, politics, home improvements, work, and anything that mattered to you. In any conversation, Greg had a way of getting past the superficial, exploring the interesting, and talking about things that built lasting and impactful relationships with the people in his life. It was a gift that you didn't know you were receiving until your 1-hour visit turned into a 5-hour best night of your weekend.

After stays at Sky Ridge Medical Center, Swedish Medical Center, and the UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital, Greg passed away on the afternoon of Tuesday, August 9, surrounded by his family, with Dawn and Ruby by his side. For the nearly two months he was in different hospital rooms, Greg still managed to bring together friends, family, and people who had become his family. He is survived by his wife of nearly 24 years Dawn (née Adkins), daughter Ruby (21); siblings Linda, Doug, and Barbara; mother- and father-in-law Dallas and Jenna Adkins; brothers- and sisters-in-law Dennis, Jeff, Becky, Sheldon, and Christi; and many Schmidli and Randall cousins, nieces, and nephews. Preceded in death by his parents Theodore "Ted" and Willie Mae Schmidli, numerous uncles and aunts, and baby boy Schmidli at birth.

Greg's Celebration of Life will be held on Thursday, August 18, 2022, at 2:00 PM at Littleton Church of Christ, located at 6495 S. Colorado Boulevard in Centennial, Colorado. Family and friends will have the opportunity to write any final words or messages to Greg on his casket, which will be cremated with him after the Celebration of Life.

Video LiveStreaming: Please share in the Celebration of Greg's Life by clicking on the link to live-stream the service. https://youtu.be/1wRmDWCZ-sc

In lieu of flowers, please consider making a memorial donation to any of the following organizations:

TeenPact Leadership Schools (https://teenpact.com/give)

World Vision (https://donate.worldvision.org)

MD Anderson Cancer Center (https://gifts.mdanderson.org)