RIP Craig Schmidt - aka Frank Ridgeway

[Baron Scicluna]

I didn't know him, but I always enjoyed his posts. I had wished him luck after he announced his layoff and he had liked my post, which I think was our last interaction here.

RIP

 

[Amy]

Craig was one of the first people to offer me support after my Craig died. He quickly became a good friend. I am going to miss him.

My thoughts are with his family and especially his wife, Deb.

 

[Mr. Sunshine]

I hate that it takes something like this to remind me that I don't have to be such an asshole on this board. RIP, Craig.

 

[cjericho]

Didn't know him outside of here, but knew others who worked with him. A gentleman and class act. RIP.

 

[TheSportsPredictor]

I hate that it takes something like this to remind me that I don't have to be such an asshole on this board. RIP, Craig.

My responses to you don't do it?

 

[jr/shotglass]

I hate that it takes something like this to remind me that I don't have to be such an asshole on this board. RIP, Craig.

My thought exactly about myself, sir. Well put.

 

[Turtle Wexler]

Didn't know him IRL, but he's one of those I considered a core SJ'er and would have loved to have met him.

We lost another good one, and this sucks.

 

[Jake_Taylor]

I didn't know Frank Ridgeway's real identity, but I figured out early on that he and Craig Stanke were two posters who knew more about the business than I ever would. If you were a young journalist on this board and not paying very close attention to anything they posted you were doing yourself a disservice.

RIP to both Craigs.

 

[Desk_dude]

Here was an article Craig wrote for the Daily News a few months ago:

www.nydailynews.com/life-style/greenville-s-refined-city-cherishes-history-article-1.2337187

 

[KVV33]

I remember thinking a few years ago: It's going to be weird when people start dying, because I feel like I know them through this place, but I'm not sure I really know them. And in recent years, we've lost a handful of people who I feel like I've been reading for a decade.

I think it's obvious this place has changed, and there are fewer and fewer journalism conversations. Most of what I see is bickering and fighting and thinly-veiled rage, **** you probably wouldn't say if your name was attached to it. Journalism has broken a lot of hearts in the last decade, and so talking about it the way we once did probably feels like a pointless exercise. But I wouldn't be the journalist I am today without a lot of hours of reading this place, and people like Frank were a huge part of that.

Family isn't the right word for what we are/were, but tribe is as good as any. Frank was part of my tribe. And I will miss him.

 

[buckweaver]

Terrible news. Always came away from a conversation with him having learned something new or thinking about a topic in a different way. I consider Frank_Ridgeway to be one of my journalism mentors, even though I never had the good fortune of working with him. RIP.

 

[WriteThinking]

Much too young.

RIP Craig, you left a giant mark on this business, did it the right way and made it infinitely better.

Much like he did on this site.

What's with everyone seemingly dying much too young?

Once again, a reminder to everyone that each day is not a given, but a gift.

It's scary, sometimes, to realize that we really don't know when our last day will be. It reminds me, again, that I need to try to make each a great one.

RIP, Craig.

 

[wicked]

Buckweaver, JR and shotty all said what I was thinking, and did a much better job of it.

Never met the man. All I know is that he knew what he was talking about. And he let you know it, without being a jerk.

RIP.

 

[Bronco77]

Count me among those who knew Frank only from his posts here and developed a tremendous respect for him through that connection. I've known, or known of, too many great people in our business who have died too young. Add one more to the list.

 

[mpcincal]

I'm curious -- is this the Craig Schmidt that worked in San Diego in the early '90s before going to New York? If so, I worked with him there when I was still a college kid. Either way, sad thing to see lose not just someone from this board, but someone who's put in a lot of time in this thankless business and who really should have had many more years to live.

 

[Ace]

RIP Frank/Craig.

He was one of the posters who was just an SJ.com Hall of Famer.

Do seem to be a lot of us dying young. I just saw a study that showed working 55 hours or more a week gives a a 33 percent greater risk of stroke and put you more at risk for a heart attack.

 

[Dave Kindred]

The Greenville travel piece is gold. It's all the evidence you need to know Schmidt loved the craft. His posts as Ridgeway were an education in journalism.

 

[Moderator1]

I'm curious -- is this the Craig Schmidt that worked in San Diego in the early '90s before going to New York? If so, I worked with him there when I was still a college kid. Either way, sad thing to see lose not just someone from this board, but someone who's put in a lot of time in this thankless business and who really should have had many more years to live.

Yes

 

[HejiraHenry]

Sad to hear about that. He was always quick to advise job seekers to shine their shoes. Timeless advice.

 

[I Should Coco]

Very sad news. Didn't know Craig in real life, but had some interactions with "Frank" here and, like others, learned from his insight.

RIP, Craig Schmidt.