Robin Schmidt who attended South Pasadena High School and was a top aide to former U.S. Rep. Pete McCloskey, R-San Mateo, died April 25, 2004 in San Diego of congestive heart failure.  He was 76.

Schmidt and McCloskey were high school friends and Schmidt was his top aide and campaign manager in 1968 when McCloskey defeated Shirley Temple Black for a seat in Congress.  Schmidt ran McCloskey's Washington, D.C. office and led his successful re-election campaign and his 1972 presidential campaign.

Schmidt spent most of his career in public relations, including a stint as vice president at Phillips-Ramsey Ind., San Diego's largest advertising and public relations agency.  He was Harvard University's vice president of public affairs and assistant to President Derek Bok for 12 years. In 1984 he left to become vice president of public relations and public affairs for Sprint Corp. in Burlingame. In 1988 he joined Nuffer, Smith, Tucker Inc., a San Diego public relations firm and ran its Bay Area office.  From 1991 to 1993 he was public relations director for National University.  He retired in 1993.

Schmidt was born in Santa Barbara.  He joined the Navy in 1945 and served in the Pacific Theater.  He later attended UC Santa Barbara.

Once divorced, he married Gretchen Reinke of South Pasadena in 1953.  He is survived by her and their three children, Bridget Barnes and Michael of Davenport, California and Prudence Glover of Townsend, Massachusetts and two grandchildren.