Mourning the Loss of Our Friend Eric Schmieder, 1947-2016
Beloved longtime SWOP member Eric Schmieder passed away on Sunday, August 7 after a long battle with cancer. He was 69 years old.
Eric was a member, friend, and inspiration for SWOP since the beginning. As the husband to SWOP co-founder Jeanne Gauna, he played an important role in supporting the start up organization in the late 70's and early 80's.
Over the years, “The Big Schmied” supported the organization as a volunteer, donor, researcher, writer, economist and board member. Eric served for many years on the board of SWOP and its sister organization, Southwest Community Resources.
In the early 90's, Eric co-authored “Intel Inside New Mexico”, a book published by SWOP, which documented the environmental and economic costs to New Mexicans of the chip factory in Rio Rancho. His research and economic analysis of the use of Industrial Revenue Bonds and other tax loopholes shined a light on these practices, drawing national and international attention, and which led to greater accountability and public scrutiny.
The rich history of food and community gathering at SWOP can be traced back to Eric, an excellent cook himself. Eric and Jeanne started hosting green chile harvest parties at their home in Los Duranes before the days of the chile roaster, and those gatherings led us to SWOP’s Chile Harvest Fiesta, which we have been celebrating together since the mid-90s. Eric was a regular participant in the green chile stew cook off, as a taster and as a chef, and even brought home the blue ribbon a couple times.
Eric had an immense impact on New Mexico communities, even beyond his work at SWOP. He was a tireless advocate for workers' rights, having founded AFGE local 1032 and serving as president of that local representing USDA Rural Development workers here in Albuquerque. Eric also worked tirelessly on behalf of and with Native American tribes on housing issues, helping hundreds of families find a home. He also co-founded the New Mexico Tribal Homeownership Coalition that helped to implement NAHASDA (Native American Housing Assistance and Self Determination Act). He was uniquely capable of balancing the need of affordable housing and tribal sovereignty, and had a reputation of being able to helping communities with problems no one else could solve.
Somehow, in between all that work helping others, Eric still found time to pursue his hobbies and be the consummate family man- “Super Dad”. Eric was a big time trout fishing enthusiast, and he loved nothing more than spending time in Jémez with Jeanne and the family. And no family gathering was complete without a soundtrack curated by Eric, who was quite the music aficionado. He grew up playing guitar, and he always had music playing at the house, and loved sharing his musical discoveries with his friends. He liked most music styles, from old-school country, to jazz, to R-n-B, to rock, but it always helped if it had a political message that he believed in.
Services will be held at Harwood Arts Center on Friday, August 12th from 10 AM to 2 PM. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you make a donation to the community work of SouthWest Organizing Project.
¡Eric Schmieder... Presente!
Eric Schmieder, 69, passed away on Sunday, August 7th 2016 after a long illness. He was born in Amana, Iowa and moved to Albuquerque in the 1970s. Eric and his wife built their home and raised their children in the Los Duranes neighborhood. He was preceded in death by his wife, Jeanne Gauna; his parents, Adolph C and Ruth Schmieder and by his parents in-law, Willie and Josephine Gauna. Eric is survived by his two sons, Jason Gauna and wife Lynnette and Karlos Gauna Schmieder; his two grandchildren, Erik and Daniella Gauna; his sister, Terry Roemig and husband James; his sisters in-law, Susan Gauna, Loyola Gauna, Eileen Gauna, and many nieces and nephews other family members and friends who loved and will miss him. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be sent to the South West Organizing Project, 211 10th Street SW, Albuquerque, NM 87102. There will be a memorial service with a reception to follow at Harwood Art Center, 1114 Seventh St. NW, Albuquerque, NM 87102, on Friday, August 12th, 2016 at 10:30am. Arrangements by Direct Funeral Services, 2919 4th St. NW. ABQ. 505-343-8008
