A Tribute to John Lindenschmidt, By Kevin Beswick
“You don’t know what you have until it’s gone”. This statement became a
reality for me on May 6, when I learned that John Lindenschmidt had passed
away the night before. John was the founder of RMS Safety, a mentor, and a
close friend. While I appreciated John before his life ended, the depth of my
appreciation was not fully realized until the days following his death, as I
reflected on the last 26 years of my life.
I first met John in 1999. I had recently graduated from college, learned I would
be a father for the first time, and was looking for a job. John had founded RMS
the year prior, so he was trying to grow a new business and working hard to
make ends meet for his family. He scheduled a 1-hour interview with me, but it
ran over by 45 minutes. Needless to say, we connected immediately! It did
not take long for me to see that John was a man of high character, wisdom,
integrity, leadership, and vision. When I walked out of that interview, I knew I
wanted to work for him. In fact, I received an offer from one of his competitors
shortly after, and I turned it down because I wanted to wait for John. It took
him several weeks to secure enough work to hire me, but he eventually did,
and I was glad I waited.
For the next 4-years, John took me under his wing. He would bring me into his
office or come into mine for long talks, involve me in some of the projects he
was working on, and pour into me in other ways. He would give me
assignments that would stretch me, but he was always there for support and
to help me succeed. He invested a lot of time in helping me grow as a safety
professional, but he also invested in me as a person.
I was a young workaholic who worked long hours with a wife and young child
at home. John noticed this and would encourage me to live a more balanced
life and “not burn the candle at both ends.” He often asked about my family
and life outside of work, expressed care, and gave wise advice when he
thought it was needed. He even helped me select the diamond that I gave my
wife when I proposed. He became more than a boss to me. He became a
mixture of a mentor and a big brother that I looked up to.
I left RMS in 2003 to pursue a career as a Safety Director, but I became burnt
out on “the corporate grind” in 2012. Not knowing what to do (because all
Safety Director jobs involve some level of that grind), I asked my mentor to
lunch to seek guidance. When we met, I learned that John had surrendered
his life to Jesus and wanted to use RMS to serve God and bless others. I had
also surrendered my life to Jesus and wanted to do something that made more
of a spiritual impact. After our lunch meeting, It was clear to both of us that I
needed to “come home”, so I did.
John and I were both blessed by our reunion. At that stage in John’s career, he
had worked for many years to grow the business, endured many hardships in
life (including battling cancer multiple times), and was ready for some help to
ease his load. I had gained valuable experience that I could use to help him
advance the business and I welcomed whatever he wanted to throw at me. It
was a natural fit for both of us.
Beyond the working relationship, we found ourselves often talking about our
Lord and the ways He was moving in our lives and through RMS. As iron
sharpens iron, John and I helped each other grow in our personal relationships
with Jesus. We became brothers and close friends on an even deeper level
than ever before.
John eventually sold the business to me in 2018 and began living a retired life,
but we remained in touch and a part of each other’s lives until he passed. To
say I will miss him is an understatement. He holds a special place in my heart
and my life that nobody will ever hold. I can’t think of anyone who was a
mentor, brother figure, and close friend (all wrapped into one person).
While John was all of this to me, he had a similar impact on the lives of so
many others. One of our employees experienced cancer several years ago
and said John would always stop into her oice to talk with and support
her. Another safety professional who knew John said he always thought John
was larger than life, but he never acted like he was anything special. Others
said he would make you feel like you were the only person in the room when
talking with him. John was an amazing person who had a profound impact on
the lives of many, especially me. Those who knew him were blessed. May we
all remember him and learn from the way he lived his life as we live ours.
