David Heywood Swartz, age 83 of Nappanee, IN, died at 5:20 am on Wednesday morning, February 11, 2026, at Greenleaf Health Campus, Elkhart, IN after complications from health issues. David was born on March 3, 1942, in Chicago, IL to Keith and Stella May (Heywood) Swartz. David graduated from York High School in Elmhurst, IL and was later named a Duke of Distinction for the school. On a gap year after high school and before college, David took a trip with his family to Turkey. This trip sparked a lifelong passion for travel and learning about other cultures. David would travel throughout the rest of his life. He received his undergraduate degree from Southwestern College in Winfield, KS in political science and would later get his Master’s Degree in Slavic Languages and Literature from Florida State University in Tallahassee, FL. On May 28, 1966, David married Ronna Harms at the chapel on the campus of Southwestern College and together they embarked on a lifelong journey of service and travel. After he received his Master’s Degree, David began a 29-year career working for the Foreign Service of the U.S. Department of State. While working for the State Department, David and his family lived throughout the world. His son was born while serving in the Netherlands and his daughter was born in England. Throughout his diplomatic career, David served in Rotterdam, Netherlands; London, England; Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany; Moscow, the Former Soviet Union; Kiev, the Former Soviet Union; Zurich, Switzerland; Kingston, Ontario, Canada; Calgary, Alberta, Canada; Warsaw, Poland; Minsk, Belarus; and Chisinau, Moldova, with stops in the United States in between being stationed overseas. He served as the Dean of the School of Language Studies at the Foreign Service Institute and for one year was the staff director at the Nuclear Risk Reduction Center. David served as the Consul General at the US Consulate General in Zurich, Switzerland; the Consul General at the US Consulate General in Calgary, Alberta, Canada; the Deputy Chief of Mission in Warsaw, Poland, where he helped establish the first English-speaking International Protestant Church; and as the first US Ambassador to Minsk, Belarus after the collapse of the Former Soviet Union. He resigned his post as US Ambassador to Belarus in 1994 and retired from the State Department in 1995. After retirement, David remained active by helping found the Center for Belarussian Studies, working as a substitute postal carrier in Virginia, and serving as an elementary school substitute teacher, also in Virginia. David loved reading daily newspapers and upon moving to Nappanee would read the Goshen News, Elkhart Truth, South Bend Tribune, and The USA Today. Earlier in his life, he enjoyed fishing. He enjoyed cross-country skiing and taking his family on ski trips to Klosters in Switzerland. He enjoyed playing chess with family and upon moving to Nappanee enjoyed yearly trips to Chicago with his children, attending White Sox games with his son and the opera with his daughter. He was a music lover. Upon moving to Nappanee, David became a member of the Nappanee United Methodist Church, where he enjoyed singing in the choir, teaching Sunday School classes, and serving on the church council. He enjoyed 1950s automobiles and visiting the Studebaker Museum in South Bend. He was also a pet lover. He had several pet dogs over the years. Above all else, David was a loving husband and father. He is survived by his wife of almost 60 years, Ronna Swartz of Nappanee; 2 children: Paul Swartz and Jennifer (Edward) Krattli, both of Nappanee; and a brother, Austin Truex Swartz of Peoria, AZ. David was preceded in death by his parents and a brother, Stuart Endsley Swartz. Private burial will take place in South Union Cemetery. There will be an hour of visitation on Saturday, February 21, 2026, from Noon – 1pm with a 1pm Celebration of Life Service, all at Thompson-Lengacher & Yoder Funeral Home, Nappanee, IN. Pastor Jim Davidson will officiate. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions in David’s name can be given to Doctors Without Borders or the Elkhart County Humane Society.
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