Steven Jay Schwartz

Steven Jay Schwartz, Ph.D., 69, of Upper Arlington, OH, passed away peacefully on Saturday, November 25, 2023, with family by his side, following a courageous 8-year battle with Frontotemporal Degeneration (FTD).

Steve was born in Brooklyn, NY on December 30, 1953, to the late Maurice and Helen (Granitz) Schwartz. He was a graduate of Valley Stream High School, Long Island, NY. Steve earned a B.S. in Organic Chemistry from the State University of New York-Stony Brook in 1976 and a doctorate from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, with a joint major in food chemistry and analytical toxicology in 1982.

Prior to retirement, Dr. Schwartz held the Carl E. Haas Endowed Chair in Food Industries in the Department of Food Science and Technology at the Ohio State University from 1996 to 2018. Before joining the faculty at Ohio State, he was a Professor of Food Science at the North Carolina State University from 1983 to 1996. He was a Fellow of the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) and the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).

His final professional accomplishment was spearheading the OSU Discovery Themes Initiative entitled Personalized Food and Nutritional Metabolomics for Health, known as Foods For Health (FFH). Also, in his final active year at Ohio State, he was the Director of the Center for Advanced Functional Food Research & Entrepreneurship (CAFFRE), Director of the Center for Advanced Processing and Packaging Studies (CAPPS; a NSF IU/CRC), and Director of the Nutrient and Phytochemical Analytic Shared Resource (NPASR) of the OSU Comprehensive Cancer Center. He was an enthusiastic collaborator and committed mentor to a countless number of students, visiting scholars, and young faculty.

Despite his very busy and successful professional life, Steve made time for his family without fail. He loved to travel and scuba dive, passions he shared with his wife and partner. He was steadfast in his love and support for his sons and sisters. He continued to nurture and guide his sons despite his illness. He treasured his grandchildren who were the lights of his life. We know in our hearts he will continue to be a warm and constant presence in our lives.

Steve is survived by his wife of 13 years, Stephanie A Smith; his son, Brian (Inna) and their two children, Mila and Andrew; his son, Eric (Meghan) and their two sons, Luke and William; and his younger sister, Barb (Abby). He is preceded in death by his parents and older sister, Laura Schwartz.

Memorial Service will be held at 10 AM on Saturday, December 30, 2023, at SCHOEDINGER NORTHWEST, 1740 Zollinger Road, Upper Arlington, Ohio 43221, where a visitation will follow until 12 PM.

IN HIS MEMORY, please consider making a donation in his name to the Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration, a 501(c)3 tax-exempt organization. Its mission is to improve the quality of life of people affected by FTD and drive research to a cure. Visit TheAFTD.org

Establishment of a named endowment is underway. If you would like to receive information as it becomes available, please send an email to: [email protected]