R.I.P LEROY EARL SCHMALTZ (1935-2022)

Heard from my brother today who was a friend of Leroy's & family that the great man passed away last night about 6pm. A great loss to the tiki community. R.I.P. Lift a glass in his honor.

[ Edited by leevigraham on 2022-06-19 06:24:43 ]

Nooooooooo! R.I.P.

My condolences to his family and all who knew him.

Very sad news. A true PolyPop legend. He will be missed, but his art lives on.

Oh no! 😥 At the very least he got to see the outpouring of love for his life's work at the OA celebration. A long-burning and bright torch.

Thank you for posting this, warrenwear2. I concur with Bam Bam--I'm glad that LeRoy was able to experience some of the love and appreciation that the tiki community has for him and his life's work during the OA retirement events.

I was also interested to learn via several Randomland videos that he was a man of strong faith. Therefore:

Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him. May his soul and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.

[ Edited by Hamo on 2022-06-19 12:23:24 ]

Saddened to see this news, but thankful for all the art he shared with us. Condolences to all his family and friends. Rest in peace, Leroy.

So glad I got to meet him and talk to him a few times. I once went to a Pacific Islander Festival and ran into Leroy and he recognized me right away even though we had only talked a few times and he meets SOOooooo many people. An amazing artist with a huge body of work and an awesome guy.

[ Edited by ernimator on 2022-06-18 23:29:55 ]

LEROY EARL SCHMALTZ (1935-2022) Please join us, the Schmaltz family in celebrating the extraordinary life of LeRoy Earl Schmaltz. Our dear friend and father, LeRoy passed away Friday, June 17th…surrounded by family. He had recently celebrated his 87th birthday and what would have been his 62nd wedding anniversary with his beloved Vivian. LeRoy has now joined Vivian, his co-parent of a vast Schmaltz family of 6 children, 2 daughter in laws, 2 son in laws, 10 grandchildren and 2 great grandchildren. He was also a beloved Uncle to many, including his niece and her family who lived close and are part of the family. He was a cherished mentor and friend to many. It goes without saying LeRoy was a gifted and prolific artist of many genres. From Tiki-carving, to mozaic work, watercolor, pastels, charcoals, assemblages, sculptures, architectural design and so much more…LeRoy established himself as a legendary artist and creator. Pursuing his passion for polenesian art and wood carving he partnered with Bob Van Oosting to create Oceanic Arts in 1956. After being partners for 65 years they retired in November 2021. They enjoyed celebration events all throughout April…as an epic send off ending with a two day auction. Although LeRoy received many accolades and awards throughout his career…when he was recently asked what his greatest accomplishment was, he answered without hesitation… “My family”. To the world he was an artist…and the Godfather of TIKI… to us he was our beloved Dad. If you knew LeRoy you knew he loved his Jesus. Although his parents had taken him to church when he was a child, it wasn’t until 1976 that he had a radical experience with Jesus which changed the trajectory of his family. They began going to church and were actively involved in various ministries. His life and legacy became about seeking and savoring the Lord. He continued to be a humble force for the kingdom of God for the duration of his life. Although we miss him immensely, we have tears of sadness and we have tears of joy. We know he is in the loving arms of Jesus after hearing… “Well done good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your Lord.” Matthew 25.23 *Our parents wanted to have a service together…we will be gathering with family and friends to celebrate their extraordinary lives. Details to follow...we'd love for you to join us!

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Now he is what I have in mind when you say a legend of tiki and there are not many left. What a great life he had, what a loss.

Rip Leroy Schmaltz.

What a legacy. Rest easy Leroy. Carve it up on the other side.

kevin