The son of John and Lydia Schwartz, he was born on December 29, 1931, in Brenham, Washington County, Texas. He grew up on a farm in the Sandy Hill community outside of Brenham. St. Matthew’s Lutheran Church is a small country church in Sandy Hill where he was Baptized on February 7, 1932, and also confirmed in 1946.
He graduated from Brenham Senior High School on May 27, 1949. School in the country only went to the 11th grade, so Nolan had to live with a family in town to finish the 12th grade. Nolan received a scholarship to continue school and received his Junior Accounting diploma from Southwestern Business University on December 1, 1951. Then he joined the US Air Force and served for two years. While working during the day and going to school at night, he received his Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Houston on May 30, 1959.
Most men only have true love once in their life, but Nolan was lucky enough to find two. Before graduating with a BBA, Nolan met Mable Lynne Speer and they shortly married. They had three children: John Blake Schwartz, Sandra Lynne Schwartz, and Michael Larkin Schwartz. Nolan went to work for DuPont soon after they were married. While married Nolan also went through the Professional Real Estate Training Program and graduated on July 2, 1973. He worked as an Executive Sales Representative for DuPont selling gasoline additives by day, and worked on selling houses during the weekend to help support his family. Nolan and Lynne were married for 38 years, living in Houston, Wilmington, Delaware, and Corpus Christie. Just before they were getting ready to move to Pflugerville, Texas to be closer to family, Lynne died on March 7,1996.
After moving to Pflugerville as a widower, he retired from DuPont after a career of 38 years. After a few years, Nolan reacquainted himself with Marcy Whitehead whom he had known for decades while working at DuPont. Her husband had died many years earlier. Again, Nolan got lucky in love and married Marcy in 2000 and lived in Montgomery, Texas. Both Nolan and Marcy were very active at Grace Lutheran Church. Being a deep man of faith, Nolan volunteered as the church Financial Secretary and they regularly attended church on Sundays. They enjoyed their life together visiting with friends and neighbors, and traveling to places such as Kansas, Washington DC, and Lake Charles, Louisiana where Nolan and Marcy enjoyed the casinos. Marcy died in 2023, just a year and a half before Nolan died. They were married for 22 years.
After Marcy died, Nolan moved to Round Rock to be closer to his children. He first moved to an assisted living residence for six months, but when he began having health issues, he moved to a memory care center where he could get more care. He died there in Round Rock on October 15, 2024.
Nolan loved to golf. He even had a golf cart while they lived in a golfing community in Montgomery for a time. Nolan and Marcy golfed together. He also loved to hunt and organized many high-end hunting parties for clients while working at DuPont.
Nolan is known for his wicked humor, always ready to tell a joke. Many loved and respected him. A few words or a phrase that sums up his life: honest, honorable, trustworthy, dependable, kind, hard-working, driven, family oriented, smart, funny, and a good-looking red head!
He is preceded in death by his parents, John and Lydia Schwartz; father and mother-in-law Blake and Bernice Speer; wives Lynne Speer and Marcy Whitehead; brother Leroy Schwartz, and sister in laws Shirley and Jeanine; and pet dogs – lots of Tinsy’s and the great Tinker.
He is survived by his siblings: John Schwartz, Jr., Leon Schwartz and wife Florence, and Shirley Ashorn and husband Melvin; children: John Blake Schwartz and wife Lisa, Sandra Lynne Schwartz and husband William, and Michael Larkin Schwartz; Stepchildren: Brent Whitehead, Susan and husband Mark Dedmon; Grandchildren: Nicholas Nigel Williams and wife Jessica, Carra and Frank Flores, Nadia Schwartz, Anastasia Schwartz, Keegan Schwartz; Step-grandchildren: Sarah and husband Seth Toups, Amy and husband Nathan Bahr, Emily and husband Zach Griner; Great-grandchildren: Franklin Flores, Isabella Flores, Jonathan Flores and Jameson Cash Williams; Great step-grandchildren: Natalie Bahr; and several nieces and nephews.
Officiant: Pastor Diane Roth
Pallbearers: Blake Schwartz, Mike Schwartz, Trevor Schwartz, John Schwartz III, Nick Williams, and Gordon Schwartz
PALLBEARERS
Blake Schwartz
Mike Schwartz
Trevor Schwartz
John Schwartz III
Nick Williams
Gordon Schwartz
DONATIONS
St. Matthew Lutheran Church of Sandy Hill8819 FM 2621, Brenham, Texas 77833-0174
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