Vicki Anne Blakeley Schmidt

Vicki Anne Blakeley Schmidt, 59, of Jamestown, Rhode Island, passed away Sept. 4, 2015, at home, surrounded by loved ones, following a three-year battle with ovarian cancer. Born June 29, 1956 to Ruth Anne Dykeman and the late Kenneth Blakeley of Wellfleet, Mass., Vicki made a precipitous arrival in the ambulance well short of the hospital, displaying the boundless energy and enthusiasm that were the hallmark of her all-too-short life. She was a Cape Cod girl who never quite got the sand off her bare feet, no matter how far from the beach she traveled.She was the beloved wife of Deken Schmidt for 36 years, and together they inspired the love of family and experiential travel in their children: Andrew Deken Schmidt of Boston, Blakeley Anne Schmidt of Jamestown, and Benjamin Dinsmoor Schmidt of Newport.After graduating from the New England Deaconess School of Nursing in 1977, Vicki took a three-month solo backpacking trip across Europe, an adventure she relived with Deken during their honeymoon. She shared the Navy life with her husband, moving to Illinois, California, Virginia, and Iceland before settling in Newport.Even in the face of crippling disease, Vicki traveled whenever she could, visiting Hawaii, Ireland, Costa Rica, Nova Scotia, Colorado and Florida with her family. She loved the beach, hiking, skiing and kayaking with family and friends, and she made every outing an adventure. Whether planning the annual Blakeley bonfire on the Cape with her sisters, hiking the White Mountains with her nursing colleagues, or teaching the next generation to ski, it was common knowledge that if she was involved, fun would be had by all. Nothing was more important to Vicki than family, whether it was her own nuclear unit or the extended Blakeley/Dykeman clan. She continued to host warm and wonderful Thanksgiving dinners throughout her illness, and holidays at her house were filled past capacity. There was always room at her table for "just one more," and she made everyone feel as though they were the guest of honor, no matter how large the crowd.Ironically, Vicki's fight against cancer started long before her own battle began. Inspired by her great-niece Anabelle, who succumbed to the disease at age 7, she founded the Jimmy Fund Walk team "Just Wings" in 2005. The team has raised more than $200,000 to search for the cure. In 2012 Vicki was honored as Team Captain of the Year, and last year she was recognized by the Jimmy Fund staff as a Walk Hero. Although she began her nursing career at Boston's Children's Hospital, her skills were in demand wherever she lived. She worked for the Red Cross in Iceland, developing and implementing a prenatal curriculum and an early home visiting program for newborns, and as a midwife assistant in Virginia, doing home births for three years. The majority of her professional life was spent in obstetrics at Newport Hospital, where she helped usher thousands of new babies into the world, and she was one of the founders of the Breastfeeding Support Group. As a lactation consultant, Vicki touted the advantages of breastfeeding to anyone who would listen, and she was especially encouraging to young mothers who lacked self-confidence. Vicki was the adored stepdaughter of Judith Blakeley and the late Howard Dykeman. She will be dearly missed by siblings Brian (Terry Freeman) Blakeley of New Haven, Conn.; Stephanie (Roger) Gill of Eastham, Mass.; Linda Blakeley of Wellfleet; Scott (Candi) Blakeley of Yarmouth, Mass.; Howard (Dawn) Dykeman of Wellfleet; Holly (David) Lajoie of Wellfleet; Heather Meredith of Wellfleet; Patricia (Richard Oppel) Blakeley of Portsmouth, R.I.; Kenneth (Jill Lang) Blakeley of Hope, Maine; and Richard Blakeley of Wellfleet. Vicki also leaves many beloved cousins, nieces, nephews, and a friendship circle even larger than her family.Calling hours will be held Sunday, Sept. 13, 4:00-7:00 p.m., at Memorial Funeral Home, 375 Broadway, Newport. The memorial service will be Monday, Sept. 14, 1:00 p.m., at First Congregational Church, 200 Main St., Wellfleet. Burial will be private. In lieu of flowers, donations in her memory may be made to the Jimmy Fund Walk, Team JUST WINGS, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, P.O. Box 849168, Boston, MA 02284 or the First Congregational Church, P.O. Box 1300, Wellfleet, MA 02667. Visitation SEP 13. 04:00 PM - 07:00 PM Memorial Funeral Home 375 Broadway Newport, RI, US, 02840 info@memorialfuneralhome.com http://www.memorialfuneralhome.com