Dr. Thomas O’Neal Schmida

The world dimmed a bit with the passing of our father, Thomas O'Neal Schmida, on April 23, at the age of 96. He spent the afternoon that day enjoying one of his favorite pastimes: sitting outside feeling the warmth of the sun on the back of his neck. A simple pleasure that culminated a life well-lived.

Tom was born in Portland, Oregon on March 5, 1930, the first-born child to Aloysius and Caroline (O'Neal) Schmida. The family moved from Portland to Ventura before settling in Glendale, California where Tom grew up alongside his younger siblings, Carol and Tim.

Tom graduated from Herbert Hoover High School, where he was a member of the JROTC and the rifle team, and spent his summers working as a stock boy at the J.J. Newberry's store his father managed. After his undergraduate studies at UCLA, Tom attended and graduated from USC medical school. In 1955, he somehow managed to combine two major life events: sitting for his medical boards in San Francisco and then driving down the coast to Carmel with his bride Brenda ("Bunny") for their honeymoon. This was followed by his internship, two years of military service at George Air Force Base, and a pediatric residency at Los Angeles Children's Hospital.

Responding to a call for a pediatrician in Santa Cruz County, Tom and Bunny, along with daughters Leslie and Jennifer, relocated to Rio Del Mar in 1960. After the births of Daniel and Mary, the family settled in Aptos, where they purchased the first lot on a hillside court and built a house nestled against a grove of oak and pine trees.

Tom set up practice on Soquel Drive in a single-story brick building that still stands in the same location today. For a time, he was the only pediatrician in the county, maintaining offices in both Aptos and Watsonville, serving three hospitals, and making house calls throughout the county. In the days before the Poison Control hotline, Tom's expertise in poisonous plants was tapped by fellow physicians and local emergency rooms. In 1967, Tom was joined by Dr. Dean O. Burroughs. They subsequently moved their practice to Santa Cruz where they were later joined by Drs. Kent W. Thompson, Marion Z. Santora, and Robert Moler, all of whom remained partners until Tom's retirement on December 31, 1999. For 40 years, Tom loved being a pediatrician, was devoted to his patients and to his colleagues at Dominican Hospital, and lived each day with dedication and integrity.

Tom and Bunny were intrepid travelers, and in 1971 they bravely embarked on what will forever be known as "the six-week trip"-a road trip throughout the northwest with their four children and Boxer dog Burgy piled into a Chrysler station wagon, trailer in tow. Yearly vacations followed, with regular summer trips to the Ashland Shakespeare Festival and Yosemite Valley and winter cross-country skiing in Bear Valley. As time passed and children grew, Tom and Bunny added international adventures to their travels, including a trip to southern France to see cave art, a ride on the Trans-Siberian Railway (where Bunny reported that Tom stood at the window, looking out, the entire trip), hiking through the Swiss Alps, holding a wombat in Australia, walking along the Great Wall in China, and visiting Darwin's turtles on the Galapagos Islands. They took advantage of their children's worldly adventures as well, visiting Leslie in Greece, and Mary in Portugal and Guinea-Bissau.

Tom committed himself fully to whatever he did, from his work as a physician to his home maintenance projects, to loading the dishwasher (embracing the motto of the fictitious National Union of Dishwasher Loaders, "You're doing it wrong"). A hobbyist by nature, Tom was accomplished in many art forms, including photography (even taking a master class with Ansel Adams in Yosemite), bonsai, fly tying, woodcarving, breadmaking, Chinese calligraphy, and his last and perhaps most deeply loved avocation, woodturning. Those fortunate enough to have received one of his magnificent wooden bowls know how lucky they are, indeed.

Tom was a family man, dedicated to and beloved by his children, their spouses and his grandchildren. He loved the outdoors, including fishing, hiking, camping, golfing, tide-pooling and fossil-hunting in earlier years, and daily walks along Seacliff Beach in his later years. He was predeceased by his wife Bunny in 2017 and by his sister Carol. He leaves behind his four children and their spouses, nine grandchildren, two great-grandchildren, and his brother Tim, all of whom miss him dearly.

A memorial service will be held on July 25th at St. Andrew Presbyterian Church of Aptos (9850 Monroe Ave.) at 1:00 pm. We welcome all who knew and loved Tom to join us as we celebrate his life.

Contributions in Tom's memory can be made to the Dominican Hospital Foundation (Designation: Level 3 Newborn Intensive Care Unit) or to Doctors Without Borders.

Published in The Pajaronian · May 27, 2026