Trevor Henry Schmidtke of Tacoma Washington passed away suddenly on September 28th, 2024, succumbing to a yearslong battle with alcohol and depression. He was preceded in death by his younger brother, Hunter, in January 2018.

He was born on March 21, 1987 to Julie and Richard Schmidtke and is survived by his sister Jayne Saffle, her husband Jack and their son Jacob, his brother Stuart, his fiancee Malea and their daughter Adley, and his grandmother Barbara Aydelott, to whom he bestowed the nickname "Ducky." He is also survived by numerous extended Schmidtke, Absten, Aydelott, and Gillis family members.

While his departure from us was the result of his struggle, Trevor refused in life to be defined by it, and will be remembered for the person he was outside of his addiction.

Trevor spent his childhood in North Tacoma, where he most enjoyed spending time with neighborhood friends, often arriving at their house unannounced with a new game or playtime activity. Among his favorites were block-wide waterfights, coming up with militaristic code names for neighborhood landmarks, pick-up football and wiffle ball games, and re-enacting scenes from the movie "Zulu" on unsuspecting vegetation. As a child he was lanky and often struggled to match his peers athletically or academically as a result of his dyslexia, but developed a personality and heart larger than any shortcoming he experienced on the field or in the classroom.

Trevor was a kind, genuine, and generous soul who liked more than anything to improve the lives of those around him. He graduated from Tacoma School of the Arts in 2005, and after a year studying at Eastern Washington University began his working career. He excelled in people-centric roles that gave him an opportunity to make someone's day just a little bit kinder, from running hotel bell stands to handling insurance claims to serving as a flight attendant for Alaska Airlines. Trevor's light shined brightest when he had the opportunity to help improve the hour, day, or life of another individual.

While working at the Hotel Murano in Tacoma, Trevor met Alexandra Hensler, with whom he would share what turned out to be a lifelong love and connection. The two were married in 2018. Though they divorced in 2022, their time together was filled with travel, candlelit homemade dinners, and deep love for one another.

Trevor's true self shined in his love for bringing people together, whether through Husky football viewing parties, a hosted meal (always with the famous Schmidtke Caesar Salad), themed nights out, or simply a laugh and a dance in public. His way of bringing childish joy and inhibition out of anyone he was around was engaging and magnetic. He was disarmingly genuine, and cared immensely about those around him.

The disease of addiction is a battle fought often silently and by people from all walks of life. Trevor's family and friends encourage all of those who are struggling to continue to wake up every day and make the hard choices, and pleads with people surrounding those battling it to hold their loved ones close, to lift them up, and to remind them constantly of their positive impact on this world.

Trevor's family takes solace that he is with his brother in the Kingdom of Heaven and in the passage from John 14:27 which reads "Peace is what I leave with you; it is my own peace that I give you. I do not give it as the world does. Do not be worried or upset; do not be afraid."

In lieu of flowers, Trevor's family is directing donations to Oxford House, Inc, a sober living organization that Trevor cherished. Specific donations can be made to Oxford House, Inc., 1010 Wayne Ave, Suite 300, Silver Spring, MD, 20910 or to https://www.oxfordhouse.org/donations with a reference to Oxford House Tacoma Narrows.

The Schmidtke family will be hosting an informal memorial service on Tuesday, October 15th at 11:30 AM at the Tacoma Country and Golf Club.