Author Michael Schumacher, who wrote some incredible books, including biographies of celebrities like Francis Ford Coppola and Eric Clapton, has passed away at the age of 75 on Dec. 29. The news was confirmed by his daughter, Emily Joy Schumacher, per ABC News.
“My dad was a very generous person with people. He loved people. He loved talking to people. He loved listening to people. He loved stories,” Emily said in a statement to the outlet. “When I think of my dad, I think of him engaged in conversation, coffee in his hand, and his notebook.”
Michael Schumacher’s Legacy
Schumacher was born in Kansas, but grew up in Kenosha, Wisconsin. He pursued a degree in political science at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside, but was one credit short of graduating.
However, he was always passionate about writing, with his daughter telling ABC News that he “gravitated toward writing at a young age.” And with that, he focused on biographies along with his interest in the Great Lakes.
Schumacher’s impressive collection of books includes biographies such as Francis Ford Coppola: A Filmmaker’s Life and Crossroads: The Life and Music of Eric Clapton, as well as Will Eisner: A Dreamer’s Life in Comics and Mr. Basketball: George Mikan, the Minneapolis Lakers & the Birth of the NBA, along with other stories such as Wreck of the Carl D: A True Story of Loss, Survival, and Rescue at Sea; Torn in Two: The Sinking of the Daniel J. Morrell and One Man’s Survival on the Open Sea; Too Much Sea for Their Decks: Shipwrecks of Minnesota’s North Shore and Isle Royale and Along Lake Michigan: Shipwreck Stories of Life and Loss.
Specifically, his story Along Lake Michigan: Shipwreck Stories of Life and Loss was based on accounts of how the freighter Edmund Fitzgerald sank during a storm on Lake Superior in 1975.
Fans Confuse Author Michael Schumacher With F1 Legend
GettyThere are two Michael Schumacher’s, and after news of the author’s passing broke, many became confused, wondering if it was actually the Formula 1 legend.
Schumacher competed from 1991 to 2006 and from 2010 to 2012, winning seven Formula One World Drivers’ Championship titles.
He suffered a terrifying skiing accident in 2013 while out with his son, Mick, in the French Alps. Schumacher hit his head on a rock, suffering a traumatic brain injury that left him in an induced coma for six months. Not much information has been released since his accident, with his family focusing on privacy.
