Varee Lee Schmidt Gatrell

Varee Lee Schmidt Gatrell

July 9, 1934 – July 1, 2025

On July 9, 1934, Varee Lee was born to Carl and Mary Schmidt; the only daughter among their four children. The family lived on Moray Lane, then a rural area near what is now the Winter Park Hospital. A few years later Carl and Mary purchased property on Old Winter Park Road near Corrine Drive and built their home. During these years Carl and Mary proved themselves to be able entrepreneurs by building up a business based on Carl’s mechanical skills and Mary’s business sense. Eventually the business would be called Schmidt Motors and provided for all of their extended family.

Varee attended school in Winter Park and in 1952 graduated from what was then the new Winter Park High School, now the Winter Park High School 9th Grade Center. Shortly after graduation she began a career in banking. While working at the Florida Bank and Trust Company located on Park Avenue in Winter Park, she met Joseph Edward Gatrell. Joe and Varee married on May 30, 1954. Over the next few years, they formed a family as they welcomed daughters Claire and Julie into the world.

Following Joe’s work, in 1968 the family moved to Chapel Hill, North Carolina then Syracuse, New York and finally to Seattle, Washington. They were living in Seattle when Joe unexpectedly passed away in 1973. In this difficult moment, Varee showed true strength and courage by choosing to stay in Seattle for another year so that her older daughter Claire could graduate from high school. In 1974 Varee and daughter Julie returned to Orlando and moved in with Varee’s parents Carl and Mary. Varee would see them through their declining years in the next decades.

For a time after returning to Orlando, Varee worked at Schmidt Motors but in the spirit of her parents became an entrepreneur herself when she opened Personal Touch Catering in the late 1970s. For many years, this business provided wonderful wedding receptions, parties and other events for clients across the Central Florida region. Varee even had a small event space that was used by many clubs, groups and organizations to host meetings and smaller events such as wedding or baby showers.

Varee chose to close the business and retired in the early 1990s but she did not sit idly for long. A short-term work opportunity at Harry’s Famous Flowers led to long-term employment there. During this time Varee worked in many different capacities taking orders, learning how to put small arrangements together and finally as the business’ office manager. She retired for good in the early 2000s,

A new century brought new activities into Varee’s life. For the first time, she purchased her own home in the Winter Park Pines community where she enjoyed hosting Christmas Brunch and other celebrations for many years. She began biking and walking for exercise. She assisted her oldest brother Gene’s family during his declining years and she loved traveling with her older brother Ted and his wife Louise. They enjoyed several trips out west to visit Varee’s niece Ree and her family. Varee also took trips with her daughters, mother Mary Schmidt and friends Marti and Dolores including traveling to national parks, New York, Hawaii Washington DC and Colonial Williamsburg.

As the first decade of the 2000s came to a close Varee took up a call for help from her oldest daughter Claire and began volunteering at Freedom High School where Claire was the school library media specialist. Varee became a year-round daily fixture at the school helping to process the library materials and textbooks. She assisted students and teachers with locating resources, learned computer skills and received the Volunteer of the Year award twice in recognition of her efforts and devotion. Varee even became a model when Claire authored several books about school librarianship; she posed for many photographic illustrations demonstrating the work she did each day.

Even when Claire left the Freedom High School, Varee continued to go there each day for several more years assisting in the testing office where her detail-oriented skills helped make the many required tests run smoothly throughout the year. Finally, Varee decided to stop going to the school each day but she was not done volunteering yet. By this time Claire was in charge of organizing the annual OCPS Battle of the Books Contest and Varee became their main support. She and Claire spent countless hours organizing this event in Varee’s dining and living room. She came to each event and enjoyed meeting the Battle of the Books sponsors and competitors. Truly these events would not have taken place without her work!

In 2023 Varee decided to sell her home and moved to Orlando Lutheran Towers. During these last years she embraced the exercise community at the Mark Street Senior Center making many wonderful connections and good friends. She enjoyed the Sunday church services and Sunday Live concerts at Lutheran Towers. Varee stayed active with daughters Julie and Claire taking shopping trips, attending craft fairs and enjoying the holiday lights at Lake Eola. Last year she was celebrated with a beautiful 90th birthday party that was attended by over 50 family and friends. Earlier this year Varee was diagnosed with cancer. After a brief illness, with Claire and Julie by her side, Varee passed away on July 1, 2025, eight days shy of her 91st birthday.

Varee is survived by her daughters Claire Gatrell Stephens (Craig) and Julie Gatrell Kilby (Rick). In addition to her daughters, other living family members include her youngest brother Jack Schmidt (Alice) and nieces Sharon, Ree, Brenda, Lisa, Barbara and Audrey along with nephews Ross, Theodore, Bret, Carl and Larry. Additional extended family include her cousins Paul (Jeannie), Grace and Ann along with Brother-in-law Ron Newton from Ohio. Varee is also survived by the much-loved children of her nieces and nephews along with her grand cats and dogs all of whom she treasured.

Per Varee’s wishes a private graveside service will be held for the family. Daughters Claire and Julie are planning a Celebration of Life event to be announced soon. In lieu of flowers Varee requested donations to The Lutheran Towers Foundation. For more information or an online donation form please see: https://www.orlandoseniorhealth.org/lutheran-towers-nonprofit-foundation/

It is difficult to sum up someone’s life in a few lines, especially someone who lived 91 years! Varee’s daughters want to share that when they think of their Mom, or Mudder as Julie affectionately liked to call her, they will always think of a strong, dynamic woman. A person who had a wonderful sense of humor, who knew the value of hard work. A woman of faith with a strong sense of right and wrong. A woman who’s love for her friends and family knew no bounds. Over her 91 years, Varee’s strength, determination and courage led her down many roads which were never imagined that hot summer day in 1934 when she was born in the little house on Moray Lane. She embraced her life fully at all times and lived it her way. Truly, for Varee Lee Schmidt Gatrell the quote from Matthew chapter 25, verse 1 can be said:

“…Well done good and faithful servant!”

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