– December 14, 2025
SERVICE DETAILS
Star of David Chapel Date: December 17, 2025 Time: 12:00 PM
CEMETERY DETAILS
New Montefiore Cemetery: 1180 Wellwood Ave., West Babylon, NY 11704
SERVICE RECORDING
VIEW RECORDING: Click Here
SHIVA DETAILS
Shiva will be observed at the following times:
Monday through Friday afternoons 1:00pm to 4:00pm
Monday through Thursday evenings 6:30pm to 8:30 pm – with services at home – at 8:00pm
Saturday evening 7:30pm to 9:00pm
CHARITY NAME
American Parkinson Disease Association Donation Link: Click Here
RESOURCES
OBITUARY
Sheldon Schmidt (1945-2025)
Our beloved husband, father, grandfather, treasured colleague, psychologist and dear friend,
Sheldon Schmidt passed away on December 14, 2025.
Born in Florence, Italy, Sheldon emigrated in 1949 with his parents, Ena and Chaim,
both Polish Holocaust survivors, and the family settled in the Bronx.
Ena was a charismatic force, fluent in five languages; Chaim “worked 20 hours a day”
selling chickens in the Bronx and leather goods on Orchard Street.
The Schmidts, including Sheldon’s American-born
brother, Irwin, did whatever it took to start over in the New World.
Sheldon’s early life was marked by hardships,
including the death of his father when he was
15, and his mother’s death when he was 22.
But at 18, the most important event of his life
occurred—he met Sherry Barabander.
The parallels between their families were uncanny. The Barabanders were also survivors; Sherry was born in a displaced persons camp in Europe,
and, like Sheldon, she had a younger brother, Michael,
born in the U.S. Sherry’s father also died when she was 15 and her mother
when she was just 21.
Sherry and Sheldon were married in 1967, and within a year they took in their two teenaged orphaned brothers,
along with Sherry’s uncle, Nusin Barabander, another survivor.
Despite these upheavals and heartbreaks, Sherry and Sheldon pushed on and eventually thrived.
They became parents to two sons of their own and took turns going to college
while the other worked to support this multi-generational family of six boys and Sherry.
Sheldon received his Ph.D. in psychology from Hofstra University in 1978.
Sheldon was a school psychologist at the Half Hollow Hills School District for 30 years.
His ability to connect to struggling children was exceptional. In his private practice,
Sheldon’s patients included adolescents and adults. In addition to his academic training,
Sheldon’s approach was forged by the worldview shaped by his childhood
and family history: instilling in his patients the ability to understand the
difference between what is an inconvenience and what is a tragedy;
that we all have a “bindle of woe” and we’re not being singled out by the universe;
and that “perfect is the enemy of good.”
His sage advice was not just reserved for his students or patients.
People far and wide would come to Sheldon for his measured counsel.
And they knew that after he listened carefully,
he would share his perspective with empathy, and—more often than not—a pun.
Humor was his love language, and he knew how to make anyone in a room feel comfortable.
Whether he was teaching his grandson a favorite Yiddish word,
working on carpentry projects, gardening, playing
cards with friends, or traveling the world with the love of his life,
Sheldon knew how to live.
Sherry and Sheldon were together for 62 years,
accomplishing what neither of them could do alone,
professionally or personally. In addition to Sherry,
Sheldon is survived by his sons Jason and Ken,
daughter-in-law Cory Jacobs, grandson Julius Schmidt; his brother, Irwin and
sister-in-law Jeanie Ferguson Schmidt; brother-in-law and sister-in-law Michael and Carole
Barabander; nephews Justin, Daniel, and Scott Barabander;
Justin’s wife Yousie Liony and Daniel’s wife Amelia Tidona.
Sheldon leaves behind a legacy of wisdom, generosity and kindness. He will forever be
remembered as Dr. Super Shel, a Mensch among Menschen.
