Bernard Schwartz

"Blood is thicker than water" was a favored expression and guiding principle by which Bernard Schwartz lived his life.

He was born in Brooklyn, New York, U.S.A., April 30, 1937. He died in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, July 22, 2024. He grew up with his father Louis, mother Dorothy, and younger brother Ritchie. During his childhood in Brooklyn, he was surrounded by colorful characters, all of whom provided entertaining content for later reminiscing. As a boy he enjoyed playing baseball as first baseman in his neighborhood. As a teenager he spent many hours at the movies and excelled in fine arts, choosing the latter as a career.

He was a graduate of Brooklyn College, then The Pratt Institute, renowned in part for its fine arts program. He received a doctorate degree in Art Education from Penn State University. He met his wife, then Janet Elizabeth Mechem, at Ohio State University. Their first date was a play, where he inexplicably impressed her with licorice. They wed, and moved to Edmonton, Alberta, Canada in 1965, when he accepted a professorship to teach Art Education at the University of Alberta. He was a lifelong advocate of the importance of the arts in education and excelled in many disciplines teaching photography at the Banff School of Fine Arts and serving on the Board of Governors of the Edmonton Art Gallery. He retired as Professor Emeritus in 1997. After retirement, he co-edited “The Holocaust’s Ghost: Writings on Art, Politics, Law, and Education”, which won the 2001 Alberta Scholarly Book of the Year Award and the 2001 Canadian Society for Yad Vashem Award for Holocaust History.

Bernard and Janet went on to have six children, patiently ferrying all of us to each of our many activities. His interests were eclectic: leather craft, flying kites, molding pewter, rock tumbling, carving. He enjoyed hiking, camping, and canoeing. A favorite destination was Jasper, Alberta. Every summer he would spend weeks driving our family across Canada and the United States for camping trips and adventures that still give us many stories to laugh about. Our Dad was a skilled woodworker, building much of our childhood furniture. He enjoyed music, endlessly adjusting the volume of carefully curated selections while dinner was getting cold. Bernie had a restless energy, fiddling with everything, and was obsessive about safety. He was a careful father; to avoid injury, the garburator, like other potential dangers, was labeled as such with masking tape and permanent marker.
Contribution to community was important to him; he served for many years on the community league, as well as acting as a Boy Scout and Cub Scout leader, and he coached neighborhood soccer for many years.

His relationship with Janet exemplified a loving and respectful partnership, and his commitment to family exceeded any other in his life. After 59 years of marriage, Mom and Dad still treasured chatting over hot chocolate. Their mutual devotion and deep friendship was touching and inspiring. The few times Mom was irritated with him were when he annually "de-thatched," aka ruined the lawn every Spring, and when he burned the home-made cinnamon bread every Christmas, while volunteering to toast it. Our supply of newspaper clippings, carefully chosen with each recipient's interests in mind, home-made witty cards and thoughtfully arranged music CD’s will be missed. He taught us to be curious, and to find kind words for each other. Our Dad was jovial and hard to offend; he found humor easily. He was devoted to his family, patient, and always there to provide support. He was a tender, kind-hearted, loving, and intelligent man who made looking after everyone else a priority. Even in his last days, he was offering to others before himself.

Bernard leaves behind his wife Janet, son David (Elise), son Brian, daughter Amy (Alastair), son Jon (Shelley), son Daniel (Irene) and daughter Sarah (Dennis). Each of his eight adored grandchildren are grieving the loss of their very playful, inventive grandpa.

Thank you to the compassionate staff at MacTaggart Place Retirement Residence, where Mom and Dad have lived for almost the past two years. Thank you also to St. Joseph’s Auxiliary Hospital, for the gentle and attentive care at the end of his life.
If one wishes to make a donation in honour of Bernard, please consider supporting the Edmonton Public Library.

Yes, Dad, blood is thicker than water. We see threads of you among us, your children and grandchildren, and while we miss you terribly, we carry you within us always and will care for each other. We love you.