Elliott "Jet" Tourret Schmidt, Jr.

Elliott (Jet) Tourret Schmidt, Jr., 73, of Knoxville, TN, was born January 23, 1949, and died May 8, 2022. He was preceded in death by his parents, Elliott Tourret Schmidt, Sr. and Ruth Koontz Schmidt, his father-in-law Eugene Finley, and his mother-in-law, Mary Justus Finley. 
He is survived by his wife, Jacqueline (Jackie) Finley Schmidt of Knoxville, TN, daughter Emily Schmidt and son-in-law Ross Shaull of Sudbury, MA, daughter Jennifer Schmidt Peterson, son-in-law Blake Peterson, and grandchildren Brooks Peterson and Arya Peterson of Knoxville, TN, brother Craig Schmidt and sister Amy Schmidt of Chattanooga, TN, and many cousins.

Jet was a graduate of the McCallie School (1967), the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (B.S.), and the University of Tennessee at Knoxville (M.S.).

Family was everything to Jet. He and his wife Jackie were married for 49 years. When his daughters were young, he was at every soccer game, concert, and theatre performance. Jet was a good listener and sounding board for both his daughters up until his stroke in 2016. He enjoyed talking shop and watching Saturday Night Live with his sons-in-law and was a proud grandfather.

Jet was also a lifelong learner and teacher. From his time teaching middle school at the Webb School of Knoxville (1973-1978) to helping his daughters learn algebra and how to drive, to his intro to computers classes at Chattanooga State, Jet was a patient and skilled instructor, in part due to his sense of humor. Jet was always quick with a joke, Dad jokes being his specialty. He spent most of his career in IT security, first at Provident/UNUM from 1981-2001, followed by TVA from 2002 until his retirement in 2014. He was a sports fan, with his favorites being UT football and the Braves baseball. He was also involved in music and the arts, from performing as the King in the King & I (1991) and Daddy Warbucks in Annie (2004) to building sets on Saturday mornings at the Signal Mountain Playhouse, where he was a board member, to holding season tickets at the Chattanooga Theatre Centre. He had a beautiful bass voice and sang in the choir at Signal Crest United Methodist Church for many years.

A celebration of life will be held in Jet’s hometown of Chattanooga, TN, on July 23, 2022, at 1pm at the Mountain Arts Community Center (MACC) on Signal Mountain.
Gentry Griffey Funeral Chapel and Crematory is honored to serve the Schmidt family. 
 

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