Matthew Schmauch died in 2003 - he was from Tallahasse Florida. He died from cross contamination (nut allergy) on a Chinese buffet.

IN MEMORY OF MATTHEW SCHMAUCH


The Florida State Athletics Department lost a dear member of its Seminole family on June 13, 2003. Matt Schmauch, 29, an Assistant Director for the Athletic Academic Support Program at Florida State, died from anaphylaxis due to an allergic reaction to nuts while representing FSU at the N4A convention in St. Louis, Mo.

A native of Allen Park, Mich., Schmauch had been a valuable member of the athletic academic support staff since 1996. A glowing role model in the classroom, Schmauch earned a bachelor's degree in Finance from Florida State in 1995 and went on to receive a master's degree in athletic administration from FSU in 1996.

Matt Schmauch - 1973-2003
In memory of a dear member of our Seminole family.

June 14, 2003

The Florida State Athletics Department has lost a dear member of its Seminole family. Matt Schmauch, 29, an Assistant Director for the Athletic Academic Support Program at Florida State, died Friday of heart failure in St. Louis, Mo.

A native of Allen Park, Mich., Schmauch was a member of the athletic academic support staff since 1996. He earned a bachelor's degree in finance from Florida State in 1995 and went on to receive a master's degree in athletic administration from FSU in 1996.

Schmauch was the academic counselor for the FSU women's basketball team and also served as the head football academic counselor and worked directly with the defensive football players. His duties included coordinating support services for the student-athletes including assigning tutors, assisting in course and major selection, teaching study skills and advising about eligibility requirements while monitoring their day-to-day academic responsibilities in an effort to ensure they maintain progress toward their degrees. He also participated in the recruitment process of all prospective student-athletes, served as the Eligibility Coordinator and was the liaison to the NCAA Clearinghouse for the FSU Academic Support Program.

A former student-athlete himself, Schmauch was a member and team captain of the Seminole men's swimming team from 1994-96. During his career, Schmauch was an Atlantic Coast Conference finalist while achieving ACC Honor Roll status. An active member of the FSU Athletics department as a student-athlete, Schmauch was involved with the "Say No To Drugs" program and was also a member of the Student Athletic Advisory Board. He also worked as an intern with the Seminole Boosters while pursuing his master's degree.

Schmauch is survived by his mother Janis and his brother Brien. Services will be announced as information becomes available.

FSU athletics adviser Schmauch, 29, dies
By Gerald Ensley
DEMOCRAT SENIOR WRITER

A popular Florida State athletics official and former star athlete, Matt Schmauch, died unexpectedly Friday while attending a national convention in St. Louis.

Schmauch died of an apparent allergic reaction while attending the National Association of Academic Advisers for Athletics' annual convention. He was 29.

Schmauch was FSU's assistant athletic academic adviser, in charge of overseeing the academic performance of men's football and women's basketball student-athletes.

"Our players adored him; he was like an older brother," said FSU women's basketball coach Sue Semrau. "It was not only the professional side of him but the personal side. He was there for all the things you need when you're going through college as an athlete."

Schmauch was one of seven FSU administrators attending the national convention, including Mark Meleney, director of athletic academic support services. Contacted in St. Louis, Meleney said Schmauch had a well-known allergy to peanuts and was "always cautious about what he ate."

Meleney said Schmauch and fellow FSU adviser Kevin White were eating lunch at a Chinese buffet in the St. Louis Hyatt Union Station, the convention hotel, when Schmauch began to feel ill. Meleney said Schmauch got up to go to his room, but apparently got only part of the way before he turned around and returned to the dining room where he collapsed.

Paramedics arrived in less than five minutes and began working on Schmauch, then took him to a hospital. Meleney said Schmauch never regained consciousness and was pronounced dead shortly after arriving at the hospital. A medical examiner Saturday ruled the cause of death as heart failure.

Schmauch was a high-school All-American swimmer in Allen Park, Mich. He was recruited to the University of Florida, where he spent one year before transferring to FSU. He lettered three seasons for FSU (1994-1996) and was team captain his senior year. He posted FSU Top 10 career times in three events (200-meter breast stroke, 200-meter individual medley and 400-meter individual medley). He was an Academic All-American and two-time member of the Atlantic Coast Conference Honor Roll.

He earned his bachelor's degree in finance in 1995 and a master's degree in athletic administration in 1996. Meleney hired him as head of the athletics tutorial program in fall 1996 and promoted him to assistant academic adviser in 1998, in charge of football and women's basketball.

Though he often butted heads with football players with lackadaisical class habits, Schmauch helped push many to graduation. Super Bowl MVP Dexter Jackson, a Quincy native, credited Schmauch with persuading him to complete his degree in 2001 after Jackson left FSU for the NFL in 1999.

"Matt brought a tough love to his job," Meleney said. "He pushed the guys to grow up and be accountable for what they did in the classroom. Some of the most unprepared student-athletes came to love him because they learned he was in their corner."

Semrau agreed.

"With Matt, it wasn't just about getting student-athletes through school," she said. "He understood if you developed more as a person, you developed more as an athlete and a student. He always put the person first."

Florida State quarterback Chris Rix said Schmauch will be missed.

"He's irreplaceable," Rix said. "He always wanted the best out of other people. I know the guys on the team are going to miss him. He would stay on guys if you miss something. He wanted the best for you and out of you."

Schmauch is survived by his mother, Janis, and a younger brother, Brien.

Here's the link to his GoneTooSoon.org tribute...

Mark Nicholson
October 1979 - August 2008

Here the link again to the article...
Allergic reaction to burger killed father
Saturday, November 01, 2008, 09:30

Thank you Lostone for posting this. Very tragic.

Talented footballer Danny Macpherson, who would have celebrated his 22nd birthday today, suffered an immediate anaphylactic shock after eating a mouthful of food from an Indian takeaway.