Passing of John Schwartz

From: Andrew Sears, Professor and Chair, Department of Information Systems

It is with a heavy heart I report that John Schwartz passed away on October 14 of heart failure. John was the first undergraduate program director in the Department of Information Systems and was with the department from 1982 until he retired in 2003. Joe McGinnis, a part-time instructor for many years, stated that John was “a cornerstone of the department.” Henry Emurian, associate professor, said that John was “a rock in this department, laying the foundation for all of us.” Tony Norcio, professor and chair during a portion of John’s tenure, said that “John was a wonderful colleague. He was always eager to help students and faculty. John designed and ran the undergraduate program with great care and concern.”

The John B. Schwartz Scholarship is awarded to students each semester who exemplify these qualities. If you would like to make a donation in John’s memory, contact Barb Morris at bmorris@umbc.edu for instructions.

A “Celebration of Life” will be held at Catonsville Presbyterian Church (1400 Frederick Road) on Saturday, October 24, 11 a.m. After the service, there will be a reception in honor of John, and all are invited to attend.

In lieu of flowers, memorials are asked to be sent to the Capital Improvement Fund of the Catonsville Presbyterian Church.