Hays Memorial Chapel

And all agree well-known local philanthropist and former president of Eagle Communications Bob Schmidt will be sorely missed.Schmidt, 90, died at his Hays home early Tuesday morning. Funeral arrangements are pending with Hays Memorial Chapel.Tim Chapman, who grew up in Hays, has known Schmidt for many years and worked closely with Bob and his wife, Pat, during his tenure as president of the Fort Hays State University Foundation.“Bob was a great friend, a great contributor, an icon of Hays, and he definitely can’t be replaced,” Chapman said. “He will be missed.”While the Schmidts are widely known for their generous giving, Chapman considered Schmidt a friend and said he will miss their personal conversations most of all.While Chapman continues at the FHSU Foundation as senior director of development, he also is a well-known local artist. He was “honored” to be commissioned by the Schmidt family to craft a sculpture, which still sits in front of their home. The artwork is called “The Cloud Dancer,” as the couple loved to dance and Pat enjoyed watching the sky, he said.“I think that’s what I’m really going to miss about Bob, is just those personal conversations and that distinctive voice that he had,” Chapman said. “I’ll always carry that with me.”The name Schmidt appears in many places throughout the city of Hays, with buildings on campus, at Hays Medical Center, and the sports complex named partially in their honor.Ruth Heffel, executive director of the HaysMed Foundation, said the Schmidt family always worked to “take care of people,” from his employees at Eagle Communications to the community at-large through philanthropic giving.The couple has established a private foundation in their names, which likely will allow their good deeds to continue. Pat preceded her husband in death in 2015.“Bob was a true proponent of quality health care for western Kansas,” Heffel said. “His gifts made equipment and programs possible for people to have access to good health care in our region. He was just a really very nice person and a real gentleman.”Schmidt's death even struck ... (Hays Daily News)

A teen who was in a coma after a fall while vacationing in Cancun, Mexico has died.Debbie Casper confirmed her grandson's death on Tuesday.Triston Werth would have been a sophomore at Fort Hays State University this coming school year.Casper said Werth's family is heading back home from Houston. That's where he was transported after the fall.Casper said her grandson was an organ donor, and his family donated all of his organs."He was outgoing, well-liked and well-loved. He was friends with everybody," said Casper.Casper said funeral arrangements will be handled by Hays Memorial Chapel. She expects the funeral to be held next week._____A Hays family is asking for prayers for Triston Werth. The soon-to-be sophomore at Fort Hays State University remains unresponsive at a Houston hospital.The 19-year-old fell off a three-story balcony in Mexico earlier this week. The accident happened while he was on vacation. He suffered significant brain trauma."It looks like now we've found out probably after he fell and didn't have very much oxygen supply to his brain he had multiple strokes," says Megan Werth, his aunt.Megan says Triston was treated for two days in Cancun before heading to a Houston hospital with his family. He has undergone several surgeries there."They basically have told the parents the outcome doesn't look good," says Megan. "They think their opinion right now is that if he ever were to wake up, he would probably be on assistance like tube feeds for the rest of his life."But the family isn't giving up on him.Megan and her husband set up a GoFundMe page for medical expenses. They raised nearly $20,000 in a single day."I think it really shows the character of how Midwest people are, and how a community can really rally in times of need like this," says Megan. She says his family doesn't know exactly how he fell from the balcony or how much time passed before he was treated. (KWCH)