MERLIN L. SWARTZ

1933 - 2022

SWARTZ, Merlin L. Passed away peacefully on February 21, 2022 at Carleton-Willard Village in Bedford, Massachusetts. Merlin Swartz was born on July 31, 1933 in AuGres, Michigan to Orbie and Anita (Sharp) Swartz. He was the eldest of five children and grew up on a farm, attended public schools, and sang in a quartet at church. Merlin attended Eastern Mennonite College (now University) from which he graduated with a BA in 1955. He married Hilda (Bender), the love of his life, on July 8, 1955 and was a devoted husband to Hilda for over 66 years. Merlin pursued studies at Eastern Mennonite Seminary and then attended Goshen (Mennonite) Biblical Seminary. During his time at Goshen, Merlin took a leave of absence and, with his wife Hilda, volunteered to do relief work among Palestinian refugees in the West Bank, the Sinai Peninsula and southern Jordan with the Mennonite Central Committee. Merlin was a lifelong pacifist and a Conscientious Objector and performed this relief work as an alternative to military service. Upon returning from abroad, Merlin completed his studies at Goshen Biblical Seminary, earning a BD (MDiv) in 1960. Merlin then pursued graduate studies in Classical Arabic and Islamic Studies at Harvard University, graduating with a PhD in 1967. During his graduate studies, Merlin, Hilda and their 4 children spent a year in Damascus, Syria and Merlin conducted research in Syria and Turkey for his dissertation on a Fulbright-Hayes Research Fellowship. Merlin's first position as a professor was at the American University of Beirut and the Near East School of Theology, where he taught from 1967 to 1970. Upon returning to the states, he taught at Harvard University from 1970 to 1972 as a Research Fellow at the Center for Middle Eastern Studies. Merlin assumed the position of Associate Professor at Boston University in the Department of Religion in 1973, becoming Professor of Religion and serving as the department Chair. At Boston University Merlin trained many graduate students, taught courses in Islam, Arabic and the occidental religions to undergraduate and graduate students and pursued his scholarly interests. He published books and articles that focused on medieval Islam as well as on a wide variety of topics in Islamic, Arabic and Middle Eastern studies. Merlin and Hilda spent a sabbatical year in 1989-1990 in Egypt, Syria and Turkey where Merlin did research for a book on a Fulbright Research Grant. He taught at Boston University until 2008. Merlin and Hilda lived in Singapore for a semester in 2008-2009 where Merlin taught at the National University of Singapore. Merlin was a founding member of the Mennonite Congregation of Boston and a member of First Parish in Bedford. He leaves his wife Hilda; his daughter Sondra and her husband Souhil (KassHana), his son Daryl, his daughter Wanda, his son Kenton and his wife Amy (Horst); one granddaughter, three grandsons, and one great-granddaughter. He also leaves his sister Marian and her husband David (Miller), his sister Phyllis and her husband Norman (Lind), his brother Donald and his wife Lorrie (Larsen), his sister Delores, and many nieces and nephews. Merlin was a loving and devoted father and grandfather, a devoted professor, an avid and adventurous traveler, a lover of classical and church music, and was devoted to peace and justice for everyone. His family loved, respected and appreciated him beyond all measure. A Celebration of Life Memorial Service will be held on July 31, 2022, at 2:00pm at First Parish in Bedford, 75 The Great Rd., Bedford. All are welcome to attend. Donations in memory of Merlin L. Swartz may be made to: Mennonite Central Committee, 21 South 12th St., PO Box 500, Akron, PA 17501 https://mcc.org/ or Doctors Without Borders USA, 40 Rector St. 16th Fl., New York, NY 10006 Attn: Planned Giving Home https://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/

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