Arthur Edward Schwartz

HENDERSON-Arthur Schwartz was born in Berne, Indiana, on June 27, 1929 – the son of Amish parents - JDR and Edna Schwartz. Art peacefully departed this world on Monday, January 10th and is happy to be in heaven with the Lord that he loved and followed. He is survived by his wife of 71 years, Elizabeth “Betty” Downs Schwartz, and his children Kimberly “Chip” Hughes and her husband Walter and Jeffery Arthur Schwartz and his wife Janice Landvick Schwartz and his granddaughter, Michaux Hughes Johnson, her husband Dan and their children Levi and Claire. Art is also survived by his younger sister Arlene Soeller who lives in Oregon. When Art was sixteen, he joined the Merchant Marines and began his love of traveling. That sense of adventure and curiosity stayed with him his whole life and he and Betty traveled around the world and shared many great times together. Art graduated from Indiana University with a BS in Business Administration. He was active in Student Government and the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity. He was a proud Hoosier and helped Bobby Knight with recruitments to his national championship basketball teams and maintained close ties with many of his IU friends through the years. He always had respect and love for his country and when he left the University he served in the Army in Germany until he mustered out as a First Lieutenant. Art and Betty raised their family in Normal Illinois where Art was a civic leader serving on the school board and many church and school committees. Art and Betty sponsored multiple foreign exchange students and still consider their exchange student from Taiwan, Van Wang and his wife Tina and their children and grandchildren as part of their immediate family. Art’s career focused on sales and management and his last job before he retired was owning and managing a Harvestore dealership in Virginia. Early in their marriage Betty and Art loved to play and teach duplicate bridge and both became Life Masters at the game they enjoyed together. After he retired, he and Betty moved to the Villages in Florida and they continued to play duplicate bridge and he also served as a Director for multiple games. Art always loved singing and needed little encouragement to break into song. While at the Villages he sang bass in the Village Voices and helped the Director with auditions. Art and Betty moved to the Henderson NC area in 2015 and helped establish the Granville Duplicate Bridge Club. They lived with their daughter and son-in-law until Art suffered a fall and brain bleed and moved into Kerr Lake Nursing and Rehab Center where he was treated with excellent care, respect and love until his passing this week. At present there are no plans for an immediate memorial ceremony. We have had requests to know where to direct memorial contributions and if you feel so inclined, we believe Art would like these to be made to Island Creek Baptist Church Choir and Music Program where he sang for several years. The address is 950 Stagecoach Road – Henderson, NC 27537.