Frederick “Lou” Schmitt, 91, of Tinton Falls, passed away on Friday, August 25. He was born in 1931 to the late Vera and Fred Schmitt in Baltimore, MD. He was raised in Westminster MD, attending grade school at Leonard Hall Junior Naval Academy in Leonardtown. He graduated from St. John’s Catholic High School and went on to graduate from Mount St. Mary’s University, and later received his Master’s in organic chemistry from St. John’s University in Brooklyn. He went on to work at the NYU School of Medicine where he did research into the links between smoking and cancer. This is also where he met Juliana Bowden, his wife of 61 years. Lou went on to work as an organic chemist at Givaudan in Clifton and then as a research perfumer for IFF in Hazlet. He later started his own business, Frederickscent, in Holmdel, developing a novel approach to using gas chromatography and mass spectrometry for fragrance analysis.  Lou was a long-standing member of the American Chemical Society and served on the board of the American Society of Perfumers.

Lou was extraordinarily creative and had many diverse interests that he was passionate about.  He was a serious painter who worked in both oil and watercolor. His works included traditional landscapes and portraits as well as works influenced by the surrealist movement. Lou continued to create beautiful and compelling paintings into his 90’s. The paintings he made of his children and grandchildren are especially cherished by his family.

Among his other creative pursuits were photography, gardening, cooking and woodworking. In particular he loved spending time in his gardens and greenhouse where he explored everything from cultivating his own vanilla and coffee beans to growing hops and champagne grapes to produce homemade beer and wine. He grew prizewinning orchids and was a proud member of the Deep Cut Orchid Society.

Lou enjoyed traveling and as a young man explored both the American west and the Holy Land, traveling to both Egypt and Israel. His love of travel was shared by his wife Juliana and together they continued to travel all over the world including Europe, Alaska, Hawaii, Australia and New Zealand.

Most of all, he loved being with his family. He especially enjoyed spending time with his grandchildren, who fondly remember visiting for a week every summer at “Camp Nana and Bubba”. Some of their happiest memories include science experiments, listening to classical music together and trips to the theater.

Lou was a very devoted Catholic and volunteered his time and talents at the Parish of St. Mary where he taught CCD and trained alter servers. He also volunteered his photography skills at many church events.

Lou appreciated and enjoyed everything that life had to offer, and as a scientist he strove to understand it all as well.  He loved to get at the heart of things and enjoyed sharing his knowledge with others.

He is predeceased by his parents. Lou is survived by his loving wife, Juliana Schmitt, his three children James and his wife Donna Schmitt of Ocean Grove, Amy and her husband Seth Herman of Gardiner, NY, and Thomas and his wife Jenny McMurry of Seattle, WA, sister-in-law Emily Bowden and four beloved grandchildren Olivia Herman, Jude Herman, Lily Schmitt, and Henry Schmitt.

A Memorial Gathering will be held on Wednesday, August 30 from 4 – 7pm at Holmdel Funeral Home, 26 S. Holmdel Road, Holmdel. A Mass of Christian Burial will be offered on Thursday, August 31 at 10am at the Parish of St. Mary, 1 Phalanx Road, Colts Neck. Ennichement will follow at Holmdel Cemetery and Mausoleum, Holmdel.

In lieu of traditional remembrances, Lou’s family asks with gratitude that donations in his memory be made to St. Jude Children’s Hospital (www.StJude.org).

For messages of condolence, or to share a favorite memory of Lou, please visit his page of tribute at www.HolmdelFuneralHome.com.