RIP Craig Schmidt - aka Frank Ridgeway

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.

 

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

 

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.

 

Just want to say I didn't know Frank personally, but I liked this guy. He was respectful of others, had great insight and came across fair and open-minded. Just from his posts you could tell he cared and was sincere. He wasn't here to be an ass like I can be sometimes. One of those people you can really learn something from. I'll miss reading him.

 

One of my proudest board moments was when he thought my choice of shoes was a good one.

Cole Haan airs. Still wear them as well.

He was one of the good ones.

 

For so many years, Frank Ridgeway was one of the best reasons to visit the site. He was part of a core group that kept me coming back. As others have noted, he loved the craft, and he shared his knowledge here in a way I thought befitted a well-dressed man: sharp, polished, and not put together by accident, not without deliberation and smarts. I loved his handle, as it reminded me of Word Man from "Eddie and the Cruisers," and of the caesura scene, and the love of words — but mostly that it always made me think of a movie that came out my first year in the business. Heck, my first month.

Losses like this are harder on the families and loved ones they leave behind than they are on our extended family, but we feel them too. They're starting to pile up. Ron Drogo. Craig Stanke. Larry Cathey. Craig Schmidt. Some whose names I can't recall. They all touched us in some way, and most of them were our best teachers and voices of reason, and each in their own voice. They are missed, and will be.

My heart goes out to his family, and to Amy, for losing a friend and for the painful reminder of the loss of her Craig.

R.I.P., Frank Ridgeway. I'm going to wear my nicest pair of shoes to work today.

 

Just found out about the passing of perhaps the most intellectual poster at sj.com. He will be missed and definitely remembered. RIP

 

So sorry to hear this. Craig and I never crossed paths in the business, but I knew the kind of journalist he was, and the profession is worse off because he's not in it.
Damn, this business just sucks.

RIP, Craig.