Kenneth "Kenny" Lyn Schmitt Funeral & Expenses

Hi, my name is Veronica Lovato, and I am raising funds with our mom for my brother's funeral expenses.

On July 13, 2022, my brother Kenneth "Kenny" Schmitt, 43 years old, was found deceased in his apartment after our mom called for a welfare check.

You see he didn't come over last Tuesday, July 12, 2022, as he usually did daily or called. He had his phone stolen a few days prior, so she could not reach him. She went over and banged on the door. No answer. She went to the office to have the manager check on him, but she refused. She then looked and reached out to people in the neighborhood to see if anyone had heard from him. Nothing, no one had seen him. Calls for a welfare check, and the police officers arrive. Knock on the door, announce themselves, and go in. My mother could not go into his apartment and was asked to wait outside. She later would tell me a comment she made to my oldest daughter "he was dead" due to the odor from the apartment. Officers came back to tell her he was deceased. He was found in the bathtub.

They had to wait for OMI to get on the scene. My mom really wanted to see her son. See, this is her second son she has lost of the 4 of us children. They kept assuring her that when OMI arrived that we could see him. Finally, approximately 3 hours later, as we all (family) waited in the courtyard of his apartments, Med Examiner came down a set of stairs as they were carrying him to place him on the stretcher to take away. They wouldn't allow us to see him. By the officer's face, I knew he hadn’t wanted to see him and was being honest that we didn't need that to be the final moments we remember of him. She said my name is Janice. I am the Senior Medical Examiner. Call me tomorrow and locate a funeral home; we'll work on the release and viewing.

Called, and with no eval, my efforts were pointless; she never answered. I left countless voicemails. Finally, mom reached them through another number. We were given his case number for future reference and transferred to Investigations.

Our hopeful answers are still on hold as they have his body on an ID Hold before being released to a funeral home. The autopsy was completed on July 14; they were waiting for the toxicology results to come back, which could take up to 30 days. A full report could take up to 90 days. There is no preliminary cause of death today, July 15, at 4 pm. Lastly, we were informed that we could not view or ID my brother as they were not set up that way; they were part of the University and not a funeral home. We need to contact the funeral home; they will contact OMI, and OMI will let them know when the body is released.

As it stands, Direct Funeral Services is at capacity, so we hope to work with Directors Choice Memorial Services, which they referred us to.

We hope to raise enough funds for a proper service, cremation, urn and plot. It would be nice to give my brother these things he so deserves. Unfortunately, we are not able to provide the full amount for it, so we are asking for even the smallest donation to help our family place my beloved brother at rest.

You see, my little brother has struggled with mental illness for most of his life. Being bipolar, schizophrenic with a paranoia tendency is not easy living with for him, his family, and friends and harder for strangers. Mental illness affects everyone in one way or another. It is hard for people to see past the disease and look at the individual there at times. If you can’t see it, then it doesn’t always exist, right? Wrong.

He had medication, and like in other stories, he didn't like how it made him feel. It took his creative side away from him. So, it was self-medication with drugs that would be his choice.

Kenny was a talented artist, not Picasso, but he loved it. Drew self-portraits and of others. He always wanted to be in the music business. Liked Toby Keith's “How do you like me know”. I smile every time I hear it come on the radio because I could see him out there singing right along when we were younger. Rap was one of his favorites to write lyrics to and rhyme. he wasn't to bad at it either.

He loved our mother dearly, would protect her to the end. Might complain for a minute, but he would hang something up, pull something down. Go to the store for a soda with ice. The two of them moved along with the other. Had to have separate apartments but needed each other. So, when he didn’t show up one day, yes, she worried and rightfully so.

Kenny longed for friendship, love and compassion, but he was loved by many more people than he realized. Also because of that he would be taken advantage of as well. He helped anyone and everyone he could if he saw you needed help or you asked. He would talk to everyone while making his daily rounds gathering things he could fix or refurbish. He was always so intelligent; I remember him taking the screws from the top of the washer off with a screwdriver as a toddler. They made him put it right back.

He loved he place in Odessa, Texas, but when our grandma passed away in Sept 2013, my mom wanted to move home to Albuquerque to be closer to her other children and grandchildren. He would say he wanted to return but knew he wouldn’t leave her.

Since moving back to Albuquerque with my mom in 2013, they were both homeless for approximately a year. They were able to get on a housing program with St. Martin’s which isn’t as easy as one would think. They have caseworkers for each participant. Helping them with therapy, navigating social security and helping locate housing along with other things.

He loved his family above all else. He would have your back when you needed him. He spent time with his nieces and cousins listening to music. He loved his great nephews. He would fly planes, race cars, set up video games he pieced together, with several TV’s for large screen. When he had a pool at the apartment, he lived in he took them swimming and to the park. He showed such patients and was able to get on their level with Autism and ADHD etc. Uncle Kenny will be missed so much by them.

The homeless and those in the housing around the neighborhood keep going to my mom’s asking if the rumor is true is he gone. Yes, is gone from this earth, but he left his mark and I pray he is at peace.

As with any person with any mental illness you have good and bad days. One bad day that thinks he was alone, he helps everyone all the time, but no one could help when he needed it. The feeling of your not wanted by your family, but they do want you to be a part of everything. Those off-the-wall comments that make no sense to you, but to him it is so clear. The look of haze that covers their handsome face. To wake up to the guilt that comes over you and paranoia that you messed up again and don’t want your family to know, ashamed at what you gave into once again. Fighting those demons as every second tick.. tick…ticks away. This is only a smidge of mental illness and what People, A Human Life; my brother has gone through daily through their struggles.

Overall, he is a Christian man and knew his scripture and knew that the Lord walked with him always. Until we have at least a preliminary report we don’t want to speculate on his cause of death.

This is only a part of his story there is so much more to him then I can put into words. I have never started or needed a GoFundMe page before. please forgive me if this is to long.

Anything is a blessing and will help in anyway.

God Bless you for taking the time to read about our newly appointed angel.

Gone but Never to be forgotten Kenneth “Kenny” Lyn Schmitt

December 10,1978 to July 12, 2022