This article has been updated to include comments from Newtown First Selectman Dan Rosenthal and Commission on Aging Chair Anna Wiedemann.

The woman in red, all about town, former State Representative and longtime Newtown resident Mae Schmidle died Friday, April 26.

A wake will take place Monday, April 29, from 4 to 7 pm, at Honan Funeral Home, 58 Main Street, Newtown.

A funeral service is scheduled for Tuesday, April 30, at noon, at St Rose of Lima Catholic Church, 46 Church Hill Road, Newtown.

First Selectman Dan Rosenthal offered remarks Saturday, regarding the death of Mrs Schmidle. “Newtown lost one of a kind yesterday with the passing of Mae Schmidle. I had the pleasure of knowing Mae for all of my life as she selflessly served our community in so many ways. She was the quintessential community volunteer and public servant. She brought spirit and color (red) to everything and everyone she touched. Mae served as Newtown’s Town Clerk and then as our longtime State Representative, with a myriad of accomplishments for our community, including preservation of our iconic flagpole. Shortly after I became First Selectman I was invited to take a holiday photo with the Newtown Visiting Nurse Association, of which Mae was a long-serving member and leader, and in typical Mae fashion she grabbed my hand and asked me to unload some items from her car. In her car was a four-foot Santa Claus and several bags of festive decorations for everyone to hold in the picture. That was Mae, the consummate choreographer. Mae would call me from time to time with words of encouragement or suggestions and I enjoyed our discussions immensely. Mae leaves a legacy of love of community that won’t soon be forgotten. On behalf of a grateful community, Rest in Peace, Mae.”

Also recalling Mrs Schmidle was Commission on Aging Chair Anna Wiedemann, who wrote “Just as our flagpole is an icon, on Friday Newtown lost another icon, a real treasure, our dear Mae Schmidle. It wasn’t until a few years ago that I read in The Bee in “The Way We Were” that I learned Mae was the reason for our treasured flagpole. She was not only a wonderful mentor to me, but a dear friend. I will miss our daily chats, which were filled every day with wonderful history lessons about our beloved town. Certainly being in the Labor Day Parade won’t be the same without her pointing out the history of the many homes we passed.

“I’m happy the year was filled with a lot of wonderful milestones I could share with Mae — the Proclamation at the 25th Anniversary of the Health Fair, the American Legion award, and the hundredth anniversary of the Newtown VNA.

In class this morning, I offered up a prayer for Bob and Mae’s wonderful family. And prayers of thanks that we all have great memories to share. The opening scripture in this morning’s class reads ‘Therefore encourage one another and build up each other, as indeed you are doing.’ (1 Thessalonians 5:11) If anyone ascribed to that, it was Mae. Personally and politically, Mae built everyone up. Always encouraging, always supporting. 

“Rest In Peace, dear Mae. Till we meet again! Thank you for being a big part of my life.” 

 A full obituary and additional comments will follow.