John Schimmoller, partner and chief operating officer at Huntertown, Indiana-based Certified Marketing Consultants (PPAI 110557), a consulting firm focusing on the promotional products industry, passed away on December 18. He was 59.

Born in Defiance, Ohio, Schimmoller was a graduate of Ohio Northern University and a qualified CPA in Ohio. He is the former chief finance officer of Renaissance Corporation, and his professional background includes time on both the supplier and distributor sides of the promotional products industry.

“We are shocked and deeply saddened by the passing of John,” says Jamie Watson, MAS, partner at Certified Marketing Consultants. “His kindness and patience made him an amazing advisor, but also a dear friend. You rarely heard John say anything negative. He was a kind soul who would give you the shirt off his back. Thoughtful, intelligent and good-natured, he always gave people the benefit of the doubt. We feel privileged to have worked alongside him.”

Jeff Meyer, also a partner at Certified Marketing Consultants, adds, “I have known and worked with John and his beloved wife for 30 years. He was an incredible person and cherished friend. He will be missed but not forgotten until we meet again.”

Schimmoller was an enthusiastic hunter, fisherman and sportsman. He was an Eagle Scout and a member of both the Fort Wayne Rifle Club and the National Rifle Association.

Schimmoller is survived by his wife, Mary-Ellen; his daughter Amber Mahaffey-Harris and her husband Erik Harris; sons Dylan Mahaffey and Ethan Schimmoller; grandchildren Yvette, Finn and Rosalie; his mother Darlene; sister Tamra Ummel and her husband Greg; and several sisters- and brothers-in-law.

A celebration of life memorial will be held at Feller and Clark Funeral Home in Auburn, Indiana, on Friday, December 27, at 5 pm. Family will receive friends prior to the service from 2-5 pm at the funeral home. Memorials may be made in Schimmoller’s name to St. Martin’s Heath Services in Garrett, Indiana.