Ken Schwarz

Ken Schwarz, 84-year-old US Air Force veteran, father of four and husband to Joleen Schwarz, passed away in his sleep on March 5, 2023, after battling an aggressive cancer. He was born in May of 1938 in the town of Charter Oak, Iowa, he was the eldest son of Paul and Aletha Schwarz.

Ken was raised on a farm and graduated from Charter Oak High School in 1956 where he excelled in baseball and track.  Joining the Air Force upon HS graduation, Ken served as an airborne radar technician on the C-130 aircraft with assigned duties in the South Pacific and Antarctica while being based in Tennessee.  Among some of his memorable missions were flights to Marie Byrd Land; both the North Pole and South Poles in the LC-130 ski equipped Hercules.

Ken and Joleen were married on August 6, 1960, in Schleswig, Iowa.

He earned his BS in electrical engineering in 1965 after working his way through school at Iowa State in only three years. He then went on to earn his master’s degree in electrical engineering at the University of Iowa in 1969 while working for Dupont in Clinton, Iowa.

Through his career, he also worked for Monsanto; Combustion Engineering (ABB) where he served as president at two different divisions. He was also vice chairman of joint ventures in Moscow, Russia and Bahrain in the Arabian Gulf. Ken’s travels took him around the globe and has lost track of how many countries he visited.

Joleen and Ken purchased their own company, Texas Electrical Supply Company, in 1993 and successfully grew the organization through 2001 when they finally sold it and retired from full time work. Ken stayed busy with volunteer work helping local veterans find employment and also worked as a part time business broker.

Ken was a warm and friendly man, always encouraging others and sharing his learnings to those who were looking for help. His life theme focused on his family from time spent with his kids in their youth to sage advice in adulthood. He was a faithful man to the Lord and his wife of 62 years. Although his body needed considerable medical attention through the years, his mind and love remained sharp and fierce to his last day.

Ken is survived by his loving wife Joleen and their four children Traci Peterzalek and her husband John, Guy Schwarz, Mike Schwarz and his wife Terri, Tanis Mead and her husband Wendell and 10 grandchildren along with three great grandchildren and sister Colleen.  He was preceded in death by his younger brother, Wendell.

The family will receive friends one hour prior to service time at 2:00 p.m., March 11, 2023, with services immediately following at 3:00 p.m.  at Preston Meadow Lutheran Church, 6801 Coit Rd, Plano, Texas officiated by Rev. Paul Mussachio.

If desired, contributions may be given in Ken’s memory to Veterans Center of North Texas at: https://www.veteranscenterofnorthtexas.org