Edward Francis Schwartz

EDWARD F. SCHWARTZ Edward F. Schwartz passed away on July 29, 2013 at the age of 86. He was born on July 19, 1927 in El Paso, Texas to Georgie and Ervin H. Schwartz. He was the grandson of pioneer El Pasoan Adolph Schwartz, the founder of the Popular Dry Goods Company. Edward was raised in El Paso, attending Dudley School and El Paso High School. He attended the Massachusetts Institute of Technology before enlisting in the U.S Navy in 1945. After his honorable discharge he entered the University of Texas at Austin, graduating with a Bachelor of Business Administration in 1949. Edward began his retail career as an executive trainee at Macy’s in San Francisco. He returned to El Paso and married his college sweetheart, Evelyn Goldberg, and began his career at The Popular, being named President in 1961 and becoming Chairman of the Board and CEO in 1987. He continued in that capacity until the Popular closed in 1996. “Mr. Edward” as he was affectionally known, considered each and every employee of the Popular as part of his extended family. “Lalo’s” greatest pleasure in life was spending time with his family and he was especially proud of each of his grandchildren. In addition to Evelyn, his wife of 64 years, Edward is survived by four children and their families: Alan E. Schwartz and his wife, Gail and their children Brendan and Donald Ash and Aime and Rachel Schwartz; Jane S. Snow and her husband Bob and their children Erin Snow, Whitney and Tim Hegeman and Carrie Snow; Stuart R. Schwartz and his wife Shari and their children Jason and Jennifer Schwartz and Jeffrey Schwartz; and Elizabeth S. Weigand and her husband Mike and their daughters Madison and Brooke Weigand. He is also survived by his sister and brother-in-law Ann and Tibor Schaechner, his two sisters-in-law, Ruth Cohen and Shirley Tudzin, and two great-grandchildren, Shannon and Tripper Ash, along with numerous cousins, nieces and nephews and life-long friends. Edward believed that civic and community involvement was an obligation and an honor, carrying on a three-generation tradition of supporting El Paso. This was just one of the many lessons he and Evelyn instilled in their children. Edward gave countless hours to numerous organizations, serving as Chairman or President of the boards of Temple Mt. Sinai, the El Paso Chamber of Commerce, the El Paso Housing Authority, the El Paso Symphony Orchestra Association and Coronado High School PTA, and was a long-time board member of Providence Memorial Hospital until the hospital was sold in 1995. He served on the boards of the El Paso National Bank (Texas Commerce Bank), United Way of El Paso County, Renaissance 400, the UTEP Development Board, El Paso YMCA, El Paso Child Guidance Center, Coronado Country Club, Better Business Bureau of El Paso, the Texas Retailer’s Association and the National Retail Federation. Graveside services will be held at the Temple Mt. Sinai Cemetery, 3911 Gateway West, at 10:00 a.m. on Thursday, August 1st. Pallbearers will be Donald Ash, Jason Schwartz, Jeffrey Schwartz, Tim Hegeman, Tom Given, Bob Brannon, Jim Schwartz, Bob Goodman and David Cohen. Honorary pallbearers are Mickey Schwartz, Leo Schuster, Jr., Richard Feuille, Bernard Lauterbach and James Keller. The family would like to thank Dr. Branch Craige, Edward’s long-time physician, and Blanca Sapien and her dedicated staff at Home Sweet Home for caring for Edward over the past month. Donations in Edward’s memory can be made to the El Paso Symphony Orchestra Association, P.O. Box 180, El Paso, Texas 79942, the Kelly Food Pantry through Temple Mt. Sinai, 4408 N. Mesa, El Paso, Texas 79902, the YWCA, 201 E. Main, Suite 400, El Paso, Texas 79901 or the Alzheimer’s Association, 4687 N. Mesa, Suite 200, El Paso, Texas 79912. Arrangements by Sunset Funeral Home West