John A. Schwager

In a person's life there are turning point moments. In my life one turning point was when I met John and Carolyn Schwager. My wife Victoria and I talked about John and Carolyn just last week. John was a gentle giant of a man who loved his bird dogs and his vehicles. He always had a great sense of humor and he was an incredible listener. He truly cared about what you were thinking and he was always totally present in the moment. John was a wise man but he always asked what I thought...

At seven years old, I remember how welcoming both John and Dorothy Schwager were to my family in the summer of 1962, when we took the train from Chicago to Seattle for the World’s Fair. They hosted us for a week and I have wonderful memories of the Fair and how kind they were. I think John was a friend of my dad’s from the University of Wisconsin.

I still think of John and Dorothy Schwager all the time. John was sort of a father figure to me. Dorothy and John had an inspiring and enthusiastic attitude about life that inspires me even today. Their kindness and sincere caring for others was remarkable and contagious.

John Schwager was a wonderful neighbor as I grew up in the View Ridge district of Seattle. He offered me a ride to school in his Studebaker Lark (I think that's what he drove) during the early 1960s. He and Dorothy invited me to Battle Point on Bainbridge Island where they rented a cabin each summer. He had an in-ground sprinkler system and I would water for him when he was out of town. Great memories of a very nice man.

John Schwager was one of the nicest and most influential men in my life. I won't ever forget his kindness to others and his fantastic sense of humor. He was a true gentleman and a man of complete integrity. He is the type of man that I aspire to become.