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In Memory

Tom Schoppert

Tom Schoppert          July 7, 1946  —  October 27, 2011

Thomas Keith Schoppert "Tom", 65, passed away at his residence in Edmonds, Washington on October 27, 2011.  He was born the eldest of three children of Keith and Fernie Schoppert of Edmonds on July 7, 1946.  Tom was a grandson of George and Carrie Astell and a great-grandson of Allen and Amanda Yost, all of Edmonds.

Tom spent his formative years in Edmonds attending Edmonds Grade School and Edmonds Junior High School.  While a member of Edmonds Boy Scout Troop 310 he received his Eagle Scout award.  At the beginning of Tom's sophomore year at Edmonds High School his family moved to the Spokane Valley.  Tom graduated from East Valley High School in 1964 where he had started as center on the football team.  But his heart never left Edmonds.

Tom entered the University of Washington after high school where he lived at Haggett Hall and graduated with a degree in political science in 1968.  He graduated from law school at the University of North Dakota at Grand Forks in 1972.  Although Tom practiced law primarily in Minot, North Dakota he had been licensed to practice in Montana and Idaho, and for a time, he belonged to a law firm in Bozeman, Montana.  Also Tom practiced law in New Town, North Dakota and on Native American reservations.  Tom was a prominent criminal defense attorney with an extensive trial practice including cases in federal court.  He was awarded Best Trial Practice Attorney in 1997, 2000 and 2001.  There are over 100 published appellate decisions on cases that he argued including two before the United States Supreme Court.

While a young lawyer Tom married Mary Little Swallow.  This union produced a daughter, Courtney, who is a social worker in North Dakota.

Tom was passionate about history and the football fortunes of the Washington Huskies.  He often traveled to attend Husky football games although residing in North Dakota.  He was especially passionate about the history of his forebears in Edmonds where the largest park is named after his great-grandfather.

In recent years Tom moved back to Edmonds and ultimately retired.  In Edmonds he enjoyed the company of several of his close childhood and college friends whom he had never lost contact with and had continued to visit over the years.  Tom had many cherished and dear friends in Edmonds, the Spokane Valley and in North Dakota.

Tom leaves behind his daughter, Courtney; his granddaughter, Emily Pfaff; sons, Michael Young Bird, Sr. and Kevin Young Bird (Denise); their children; and grandchildren; his younger sisters, Sally Little (Bill) of Hawaii and Diane Swope (Al) of Olympia, WA; and scores of cousins, nieces, nephews and friends.  All cherished his always jovial but irreverent and sometimes biting and profane sense of humor and attitude toward the world that passed in front of him.

He was preceded in death by both of his parents.

Published in The Herald (Everett) on Nov. 6, 2011

 
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01/11/21 12:34 PM #1    

Keven O'Kinsella ('63)

There are many that knew Tom much better than I but we did go way back with scouting and I had the pleasure of taking him some of my wifes great food towards the end of his life, Tom was a very  accomplished lawyer and had mnany funy stories, durning college. Tom liveed in the U district on Boyer ave with Lee Mcallister, Jim Sellers, Bob McGinnis and latter on Clint Wright. Tom had the larges room in the home which was upsatirs so when Clint moved in Tom told him to put his bed in the closset. If my memory searves my right Clint did live in the closset for a long time while attending the UW. There are many more more stories about Tom, some good and some snot so good. Tom was very well liked by many of he his peers  my self includded. Im sure he left us leaving many great stories untold. Keven O;Kinsells


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