Steven L. Schwartz

A lifelong Jamestown area resident, he was born Oct. 14, 1957, a son of the late Guary and Bessie Stravato Schwartz. Steve was a 1975 graduate of Jamestown High School.

A talented repairman, he was employed by Spaeder in commercial HVAC and, earlier in his career, by Sears as a repair technician, where he was proud to follow in his father’s footsteps. When he began work at Sears at the age of 17, the van he was assigned was the very same van his father Guary had driven. Steve was famously given the most difficult jobs, which he completed with integrity, honoring his father in his daily life. One of Steve’s greatest satisfactions in life was in getting a “complete,” or seeing a job through from start to finish.

Steve loved the “ocean” and being on the water. He spent his summers boating and jet skiing at Onoville, and Chautauqua Lake. His daughter always enjoyed hosing him down with the rooster tail of her jet ski.

Steve was a gifted handymen. He could fix everything. His friends and family always said if Steve couldn’t fix it, no one could.

Surviving is his wife Laurel Suckow Schwartz, whom he married Sept. 13, 1980; his daughter Dr. Alyssa Schwartz of Fairmont, WV; and siblings Sue Griffin of Angola, NY and David (Anna) Schwartz of Maryville, TN. Family was always of the utmost importance to Steve, as evidenced by his effervescent love and care for them. His daughter Alyssa loves him more than anything and has always said she hit the “father jackpot” with Steve.

All of Steve’s friends and family have always known him as a “gentle giant.” He had the biggest, strongest hands that most people had ever seen but his embrace was warm, soft, and safe. Steve gave the best hugs and was adored by children everywhere he went, sometimes being mistaken, in November and December, for being Santa Claus.

The funeral will be at 1 pm on Saturday, May 3 in Hillcrest Baptist Church.

Burial will be in Lake View Cemetery. A luncheon will follow the service.

Friends will be received from 4-7 pm Friday in the Lind Funeral Home.

Memorials in honor of Steve may be made to St Jude Children’s Research Hospital or Shriners Hospitals for Children.

The family would be deeply grateful for words of condolence, which may be left at lindfuneralhome.com.