If Robert Schmitt didn't have a statistic at the top of his head, he could dig it up in minutes.

He could recite Census data, tell you the name of the first movie theater of Moloka'i and he even knew when the first centipede was discovered in Hawai'i.

"He knew all these obscure things that were just interesting to learn about," said Gerry Keir, retired First Hawaiian Bank executive and former Advertiser editor. "You could call him about anything."

Schmitt, who retired as state statistician in 1992, died Saturday at his Makiki home. He was 84.

Schmitt's wife of two years, librarian Sylvia Mitchell, said that one statistic her husband cited was that only 20 percent of people in Hawai'i are able to die at home, even though most would prefer it.

"He was able to die peacefully at home, listening to Mahler in his sleep," she said.

As she went through the obituary he had written for himself more than a decade ago, Mitchell determined that he had moved to Hawai'i in 1947. Two years before, he had been a researcher and copy writer for radio station WKRC in Cincinnati, his hometown.

Retired Star-Bulletin staffer Chuck Frankel said he and Schmitt had been friends for more than 45 years, and in fact, Schmitt made frequent appearances in Frankel's columns, offering tidbits on things such as the ratio of men to women in the state, or the fact that the most successful marriages in Hawai'i were the ones in which the women were older.

"He was intelligent, interesting and interested," said Frankel, who listed his friend's interests as "Hawai'i history, Hawai'i movies, Hawai'i fish and Hawai'i girls."

He also wanted to share his knowledge with the public and compiled information on everything from the arrival of the first phonograph to the first car accident to the first bikini.

And, rather than being the dull numbers cruncher that the job title state statistician might imply, Keir said, he was just the opposite. "He had a great sense of humor and he knew things that would interest journalists. He was a delightful guy to deal with, and really, a great resource for state government for decades."

Schmitt wrote the first book about Hawai'i movies, but he is better known as the father of the state Data Book, an annual volume filled with statistics about Hawai'i, such as its politics, population, economy and sociology.

Schmitt was so dedicated to the Data Book, which was first published in 1970, that he volunteered to help keep it going after he retired.

Schmitt suffered from Parkinson's disease and diabetes and used a wheelchair for two years, but was still able to enjoy classical music, good dinners and great books until just a few weeks ago, Mitchell said.

In addition to Mitchell, Schmitt is survived by his son, Rolf, who lives in Baltimore and works as a statistician.

A memorial service is being planned. Donations in Schmitt's memory may be made to the Hawaiian Historical Society.