Schirmer was born on February 24, 1933, and died on July 17, 2008; he is buried at Magnolia Cemetery.
During his brief tenure, he directed the city to begin sharing its pools with the school district and also began planning for the sale of the municipal airport.
His mayorship ended on December 15, 1975, with the inauguration of Joseph P. Riley Jr. At that time, he returned to his job running paving and landscaping companies and operating a limestone quarry.
[2] Schirmer was raised in downtown Charleston on Bull Street, but during his time in office, he lived in West Ashley, making him one of the few mayors of Charleston to have lived there.
A set of tennis courts at Bees Landing Recreation Center is named in his honor.