Dear Beth, Chris, and Katherine:

It is difficult for me to wrap my mind around the fact that it has been a year already. I think of Chris daily and miss him profoundly, especially while watching baseball, our first and lasting source of connection. I hope all of you are doing as well as can be expected. If there is anything you need,  my email address is mgconroy54@gmail.com. 

Michael Conroy

Dear Chris,
Today is the day after our first Thanksgiving without you. It was your favorite holiday & I miss our Thanksgiving mornings of you playing music, including "Simple Gifts". 

Here are the original lyrics:
‘Tis the gift to be simple, ’tis the gift to be free
‘Tis the gift to come down where we ought to be,
And when we find ourselves in the place just right,
‘Twill be in the valley of love and delight.
When true simplicity is gained,
To bow and to bend we shan’t be ashamed,
To turn, turn will be our delight,
Till by turning, turning we come ’round right.

I think Chris is now in "the valley of love and delight".

I wish he was still here on earth with us. I miss him so much, it hurts. I know he is no longer in pain and is at peace, watching over me, our children and his family.

His last week on earth, he fought to stay alive, as many family and friends visited & called. His dear friend, Mike Reagan, stayed with Chris and me- 24/7- until he passed away. I know Chris is eternally grateful, as I am for Mike!

While he was fighting to stay alive, he received many phone calls.  I would place the phone to his ear and he heard countless messages of what an incredible man he had been to so many. I am so proud of the man he was and how he made such a difference in so many people's lives. Many of the stories, I had never heard and he may not have either. He was very humble and kind! He always did what was right. I will continue to honor his memory by doing my best to be like him.

I feel privileged to have been his wife for almost 32 years. He taught me to love the United States and to appreciate the beauty and history of our country.  His biggest gift to me was our children. He loved them more than anything in this world! His idea to take Christopher and Katharine to as many states as we could is something we will treasure forever. 

Becoming a member of the Schwarz Family is a true blessing!

I will miss you & love you forever Chris, until we meet again!

Beth





Chris was a classmate at Kenyon. While I was a Delt and Chris a Beta, we would often pass each other in class or in the hallways of Leonard Hall, or see each other out and about. 

 Anyone who knew Chris knew him to be a funny, soft-spoken, and generous person, very giving of himself and with a great smile and laugh. I remember his laugh well. 

I am so saddened to learn of his death and will keep him and all who loved him in my thoughts and prayers. 

I was struck by the saying over the fireplace, “Always be humble and kind.” That describes the Chris I knew so very well. May your memories of him always be a blessing and may he Rest In Peace. 

Todd Perrett
Kalamazoo, Michigan

Chris was a beloved member of the Kenyon College baseball team.  I played on the team with him in 1985 and 1986, and he was a great example to me as a younger player, with his baseball smarts and his gift of communicating.  He was authentic, and he had a real sense of humor; the team loved him.  Also, when my father passed away in 1985, he spoke to me a few different times about the tragedies in his own life.  This was another gift of his; to realize what I was going through and to reach out in care and support.  I will always look up to Chris as a role model but also as a "mensch" - a good guy, through and through.  Much love to Chris' family, and I hope you're able to celebrate his wonderful example to all of us.

Our deepest sadness at the loss of Chris.

No person I have ever met, could connect with absolutely anyone like Mr. Schwarz.  I selfishly want to say that he was "MY" favorite teacher, but thousands of NW students would say the same.  His magic was the fact that those feelings, with every one of those students weren't superficial; They were all genuine, they were all unique based on the personality, interests and outlook of that student.  How did he do it?  How did he create a special and meaningful relationship with every student that he coached or taught? .... I don't know :)  I think a lot of it had to do with having a fantastic, loving family;  Some of it had to do with loving his job, and a continuous thirst for learning himself.  But a lot of it had to do with his characteristics that were just innately part of who he was.  He was just a real person, who loved life and loved watching young people grow socially, intellectually and spiritually.  I am a better teacher, husband, father and friend for having known Coach Schwarz.  My deepest condolences to his family, friends, colleagues and former students.  May his memory be a blessing and an enduring inspiration.  

Thank you Chris 

For coaching and teaching our kids 

Which is to say 

Thank you Chris 

For loving them 

❤🖤❤

I had Chris for an honors history class my junior year. He was the reason I decided to major in history after I got out of the USMC. After I had my brain injury, I had to change majors, the way Chris taught was like no one else. 
One day in class, he had us all tear out a page in the phone book. He told us all to start writing downs the names and phone numbers. No one questioned him. We all just did as he asked us to. After about 10 min or so he stopped us and said why did y’all do that?  How come none of you asked why?  It was a lesson on how Hitler was able to take over. We were angry with him at first, we were like, we trusted you, and Chris was like, yeah, and they trusted Hitler. By the end of class, we had so much more respect for Chris and his his teaching techniques were just so unique. He brought history to life. 

I graduated in 93, but visited him at West several times over the years. He was an amazing man. May he rest in eternal peace. My thoughts and prayers are with his family. 

From my first day of highschool until my last, I was fortunate enough to not only have Mr. Schwarz as a teacher and coach, but as someone who I could look up to. I remember going into freshman year being caught off guard by the workload and overall expectations that being a highschool student entails. While in most classes I felt lost, I always felt at home in Mr. Schwarz’s class. Mr. Schwarz’s daily presence helped lead me onto the right track and not only turned me into a better highschool student, but an even better student in college. Unlike most, I was fortunate enough to have Mr. Schwarz for three total classes, one my freshman year and two my senior year. Mr. Schwarz’s enthusiasm  and joy for his lectures were unmatched. His stories that he heard directly from veterans helped bring the past to the present. Most importantly, these stories helped bring a human element to war, something that you cannot get from reading a textbook or even watching a movie. Out of all the things that stuck with me from Mr. Schwarz’s classroom, the most striking were the pictures of injured veterans that would be shown the first week of class. These images, coupled with his great stories, truly created a one of a kind experience. On the ball field, Mr. Schwarz not only taught me the fundamentals of the game but how to lose. Ultimately, you’re going to lose and make errors. What really matters is how you respond and continue to grow. His ability to let players know when they didn’t perform up to their ability not only made them better players, but better people. Outside of academics and highschool baseball, Mr. Schwarz was someone you could talk to about anything. As a whole, whether it was on the baseball field or in the classroom, Mr. Schwarz had an immeasurable impact on me. Without him, I truly do not believe I would be the same person. He will be greatly missed.


     My relationship with Chris began when I was a freshman at Niles West, playing on his baseball team. I was, he said later, the only kid he ever coached who read on the buses to and from games. We struck up a rapport, talking regularly about history or politics or baseball even though it would not be until senior year that I would have an opportunity to have him as a teacher and truly see the passion he brought to the classroom every day. Like many of his former students, we stayed in touch after graduation, exchanging emails about articles we were working on or what was going on with the Cubs and Red Sox, although our communication had fallen off as I became a parent and advanced in my career.
     What strikes me now is while I learned a lot from Chris about how to study history and how to hit a curveball, what I learned most of all was how to be a human being. What set Chris apart was that he treated every person – every student – with respect. He did not talk down to us, he listened to us, he took us seriously – but he also expected more. He expected the same from every student he taught and every player he coached. He communicated his passion and joy for what he did every day, and it was infectious.
     There is so much I wish I could say to him that will go unsaid, and I will miss him immensely. But I know that I and so many other students whose lives he touched are better people for having known him, and as a parent, I will do everything I can to impart to my children the love of learning, the passion for living, and the respect for all people that I learned from Chris.
     My deepest condolences to his family and to all of us who loved him.

Tobias Harris
NWHS ‘01

I've uploaded an interview I conducted with him for the Niles West newspaper in 2000, which I think gives a sense of what he was like as a teacher (and the reverential awe with which many of us viewed him).


Although I only had him freshman year, he left such an ever-lasting impression on me. Making me feel comfortable and wanted not only in the classroom, but in the bigger aspect of life as well. I really could see his passion for not only teaching, but also his family.He never let a day go by without mentioning how fortunate and blessed he was to have his wide circle of family and friends he cherished and loved. If only everyone could share his passion not only for his career, but everything. He truly was a great man, and I was so blessed and fortunate to have him not only as my teacher, but as a partial friend. Thank you, Mr Schwarz, for the introduction I needed for the new beginning of my future. You will be missed forever.

May his memory be eternal, Sincerely, Nikolaos Katsafaros

I remember my student teaching with Mr. Boevers.  He was a dear curmudgeon of a man twice my age that I grew to love.  In the midst of that experience, I was paired with Chris to teach a sophomore class.  We were the same age. I was struck at the time with how similar my mentors were, though separated by decades. I connected Boevers wisdom to 30 years of teaching experience – he showed me a picture of the class he taught on the year I was born.  But Chris had a wisdom that seemed to far surpass his age.  He was deliberate with his teaching. He had the patience of Job and the ability to be easily understood and incredibly articulate at the same time.  I grew to revere the man as my elder who was in fact just my age.  When he spoke, there was always a little more insight than was readily apparent and in 2 decades of department meetings his opinion always carried significant weight.  His commitment to my life’s work has always strengthened my own resolve to teach with integrity, prepare with wisdom, and enjoy the teenagers that walk through my classroom door.  Both Boevers and Schwarz are now gone – I believe there must be a special place in heaven for teachers.  Those of us who spend our daily energy in the pursuit of improving the lives of the students whom we serve.  Chris was one of our best and brightest and we here are better for the association.

So hard to believe that God has called you home so very early. Love you forever brother. You fought the fight and won the race. Big hugs for Mom, Michael and Mary Colleen please. ❤️

Chris and I loved to talk about his baseball teams, the Red Sox, and New England.  His lectures were so entertaining, I would sometimes observe to see what I might learn!  One of his secret passions was music, and I was astounded at his knowledge and expertise in this area!  He was passionate about teaching and coaching, but especially his family!  I will miss you.  Love, Bob

The O'Malley and Schwarz families are like one....our mothers were sisters and we were like a whole bunch of siblings...with one caveat...we all got along!  We spent holidays and summers together while growing up. I always called Chris "Topher" and am not sure he liked it as an adult;) But he always was and always will be "Topher" to me - that kid with boundless enthusiasm and a great sense of humor. Our hearts are broken; one of us has left the family circle and we don't really know what to do! We were so lucky to have Chris for 57 years. He will truly live on in our memories forever. 

Chris was such a loving husband and father; a great coach, and a good man. He will be so missed by his large group of family and friends.
My sincere condolences to all.

My deepest condolences to the family of Chris. He mentored me when I arrived to teach at Niles West and always demonstrated an unbelievable level of professionalism in the classroom. I was lucky enough to share a classroom with him and receive his daily wisdom in the years before the pandemic. He made a strong impression on me as a teacher and reaffirmed what it means to work in education. 

Chris and I worked together for 19 years. We bonded over our love of baseball and history. He knew far more about both than I, and I soaked up his pearls of wisdom like a sponge. In return, I edited some of his submissions to scholarly journals, one of which so angered a reader that he emailed both of us to call us Communists.  Anyone who knows Chris knows what a chuckle we both got from that assessment.  We saw each other less after my retirement in 2019, but he was never far from my thoughts. I will miss him terribly. The photo below is from a wonderful night we spent watching our former student George Kontos pitch for the Giants at Miller Park.

Chris and I were hired the same year, and he immediately acquired a reputation as a scholar, a humorist, and a stellar, much-respected teacher. People said he made history come alive, but I think it was much more than that:  he saw life as a vast sea in which we are all afloat, where waves generated in the medieval period still affect our weather today. Writer EM Forster said, "Only connect," and year after year, he did that -- connecting people to facts, facts to facts, and people to each other. He did a good life's work in too brief a time. It has been a privilege to know him, to learn from him, and to count him as a colleague. 

Coach Schwarz, as I remember him, was a true professional who carried himself with such class. A lot of people will remember him for his coaching efforts with baseball, but I will remember him for his efforts on the soccer pitch. He gave praise where praise was due, but also maintained a level of discipline about as good as you could get for a bunch of 16-18 year old boys. He was honest, fair, and made you feel like an equal when you rightfully earned the privilege.  A great leader and a great human being, i hope that he may rest peacefully now.

Chris was a consummate professional, and he was universally regarded as one of the finest teachers at Niles West.  His dedication to his craft of teaching, his love of history, his involvement in athletics, his care for his students and athletes were difficult to match, but those attributes provided inspiration to all of us who were lucky enough to work alongside Chris.  I know that we will all miss his uniquely calm demeanor, his sharp sense of humor, and his friendship. 

Chris worked for me as a legal assistant in the late 1980's after graduating from Kenyon.   He made a lasting impression as a person with a remarkable mix of empathy, intelligence, drive and humor.    While we did not stay in touch during the intervening years, I did have the opportunity in March to reach out and congratulate him on his Game Changer recognition.  Chris's self effacing comments in accepting the award captured the essence of his personality.
https://bulletin.kenyon.edu/article/changing-the-game/
The lyrics to "Someone Like You", the Van Morrison song that Beth and he selected for their first dance at their Cincinnati wedding, ring true.   Chris made life worthwhile for those that had the good fortune to be part of his life. 
He will be missed.
My condolences to his family and friends.
George Zelcs

OBITUARY

Christopher Michael Schwarz Sr.

September 11, 1964 – October 8, 2021

Lauterburg - Oehler Funeral Home

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