William Ray Schmidt Obituary

William Ray Schmidt, Jr. (Billy Ray) died Thursday, October 12, 2006 in Birmingham, AL after a brief illness. Funeral services will be 2:00 Saturday, October 14 at Kimbrell-Stern Funeral Home in Albany, GA. A memorial service will be held in Jackson, MS on Monday, October 16, 2006.Billy Ray, son of William Ray and Alice Heidt Schmidt, was born December 2, 1944 in Albany, GA. He was educated in the Albany school system and graduated from Albany High School in 1962. He received a B.S. degree from the University of Georgia in Education.Billy Ray started his athletic career at an early age with the Albany Swim Team and began diving at the Albany Recreation Department in 1959. In 1962 he joined the University of Georgia swim team. In following years, he won the SEC 3M diving championship three times and the SEC 1M diving championship twice. In 1967 he was awarded the UGA Athletic Department Award for highest academic average.He began his coaching career in 1964 with the Albany Swim team and went on to coach diving at UGA and Athens High School. During his Army years, he coached swimming and diving at Yuma Proving Ground in Arizona.He moved to Atlanta in 1970 where he was the diving coach for Westminster Schools until 1992. While at Westminster, he coached 31 high school All-Americans and 2 U.S. Diving National champions.Besides coaching swimming and diving, he was the defensive coordinator with the varsity football team and became the head coach in 1991. In 1992, Billy Ray moved to Jackson, Mississippi where he was the offensive football team coach, the head coach and then, for a time, director of athletics at St. Andrew's Episcopal School. Billy Ray's first love was the French language. He taught hundreds of students at Westminster and St. Andrew's and accompanied many on their first visit to Paris, instilling his love and appreciation for the French people and culture.Billy Ray was preceded in death by his parents and a nephew, William Bryan Shackleford. He is survived by his sisters, Patty Schmidt (Rocky) Grace of LaGrange, GA and Peggy Schmidt (Butch) Shackleford of Columbus, 4 nephews, Ken Grace, Matthew Grace of Marietta, Danny Shackleford of Roswell and Jes Shackleford of Columbus. Also surviving are 2 great nephews and one great niece.In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to St. Andrew's Episcopal School, 370 Old Agency Road, Ridgeland, MS 39157 or to Westminster Schools 1424 West Pace's Ferry Road, NW, Atlanta, GA 30327.

William Ray Schmidt Obituary

December 2, 1944 - October 12, 2006