Joe Schwarz obit

Former Michigan congressmen Joe Schwarz dies at 88

 

He was not on the list.

Schwarz, a Republican, was first elected to public office in 1984 as mayor of Battle Creek, the city in which he was born and raised. He served for two years before he was elected to the Michigan Senate to represent its 20th district, before being elected to represent the 24th district in 1994.

He first ran for Michigan’s 7th congressional district in 1992, where he lost to Nick Smith in the Republican primary. In 2004, following Smith’s retirement, he ran once again, winning the Republican nomination and defeating Democrat Sharon Renier in the general election.

Schwarz served one term in the U.S. House of Representatives before he was defeated by Tim Walberg in the 2006 primary.

After leaving office, he served on former governor Jennifer Granholm’s Emergency Financial Advisory Panel and reappointed as a trustee for the Altarum Institute, a nonprofit health policy organization. He also accepted a teaching position at the University of Michigan, where he received his bachelor’s degree in history, beginning his tenure at the university’s public policy school in 2007.

Before becoming a politician, Schwarz was a Navy veteran, enlisting after graduating from Wayne State University Medical School in 1964. He served for five years in Vietnam and Indonesia, eventually working with the Defense Intelligence Agency and serving in the CIA. He left the CIA in 1970 to complete an otolaryngology residency before moving back to Battle Creek in 1974, where he worked as a physician.

Today, Michigan lost a leader and a hero, Dr. Joe Schwarz. Joe was not only a mentor but a friend. A proud Wolverine, he offered rivalry on game days and laughs on tough days.

He led a life of service and embodied everything that makes our state so special.

He was a reminder that we can sit on different sides of the aisle — and even cheer for opposing teams — yet still find common ground serving the people of Michigan. As a physician, a professor, and a representative, Joe led a life that put people first.

My condolences go out to his family and loved ones. Joe will be dearly missed.