Gunter Dieter Schmidt
1941 – 2026
It is with profound sadness we announce the passing of Gunter at WRHN at Chicopee (formerly Freeport) on April 18th 2026 at the age of 85.
Born in Liegnitz, Germany (now Poland) in 1941 in the midst of World War II, Gunter experienced a childhood that could only be described later in his life as a “living history.” Life growing up in Eastern Germany under Russian occupation was hard. Stories of wood-powered cars, eating dandelion soup, bananas in windows that could not be purchased, sausages only at Christmas, and the decay of buildings around him were a lesson to those who would sit and listen. His recollections left you with a sense of the importance of counting your blessings, what it really meant to live a full life, and that hard work is an important foundation to one’s success.
While mandatory to serve, Gunter remembered his short time in the army fondly, often recounting a sense of wonder in the uniform sound of marching boots and the camaraderie that came with spending that time with like-minded peers.
Gunter was an artist by heart and a painter/wallpaper hanger by trade. In East Germany, he told stories of scraping old paint off of walls to recover pigments in reconstituted paints. He told stories of the day the tanks rolled down the street in Prague, Czechoslovakia when he was there visiting. Gunter left East Germany just before the construction of the Berlin wall and later met his wife, Wally, while visiting his brother in Spain, where Wally was vacationing with relatives. After a trans-Atlantic romance and some good old-fashioned letter-writing, they were married and lived for two years in Germany before Gunter immigrated to Canada. He joined his father-in-law’s painting business, Fred Bunte + Son, which he later took over. He served the KW community for over 40 years, painting the homes of many locals who may be reading.
Having lost his own father to the war at only four-years old, Gunter had a deep sense of duty in his role as a father and provider for his family. He worked tirelessly and with great pride to build a solid foundation upon which his family would thrive. He also recognized the hardships endured by his mother in raising a family of five children after the war and so, frequently visited her, his siblings, family and friends in Germany, never losing his connection to his home country and the people and places in it. He treasured those connections so dearly.
True to his artistic nature, Gunter loved the beauty in things: the snowdrops and flowers blooming in the spring, the smell of a lovely perfume, a rousing melody, balanced buildings and architecture full of history, and even a well crafted marzipan pig given with love. While not religious, Gunter was spiritual, with a connection to life and living that comes from knowing true hardship. While true that some might have found him controversial, those of us who knew and loved him know we are all shaped by our experiences and what we make of them. Gunter was and always will be an inspiration of what one can achieve from nothing. Much loved and dearly missed by friends and family in both of the places he called home, no one can say Gunter wasn’t one-of-a-kind.
Beloved husband of Waltraud “Wally” (nee Bunte) for over 53 years.
Loving father of Jeffrey Schmidt and Emily Cosburn (Drew). Cherished Opa of Kieran, Zander, and Vaughn Schmidt, and Maisie and Fritz Cosburn.
Dear brother of Dietmar (Gila) of Germany.
Predeceased by his parents; Alfons and Gertrud Schmidt (Priebisch) and by his siblings; Marianne Staebner, Werner Schmidt, and Hannelore Haeberle.
At Gunter’s request, cremation will take place. A private family gathering will be held at a later date.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to WRHN foundation or Alzheimer’s Society as expressions of sympathy.
The family would like to acknowledge the exceptional care and compassion that Gunter and our family received from the staff at Grand River and Freeport. It was greatly appreciated.
Messages and condolences for the family may be left in the comments box below.