James A. Schwartz

James A. Schwartz, a lifelong resident of Aurora, Illinois, passed away in the early hours of Monday, June 23, 2025. He was 77 years old.

One of Marcus and Eva (Freeman) Schwartz's twelve children, Jim was born on March 21, 1948, their seventh child. He was rather fond of this placement, often calling himself "the oldest of the second six." He was a devoted son and brother.

Jim grew up on Aurora's east side in the Pigeon Hill neighborhood. In his youth, he was a Boy Scout and an altar boy at St. Joseph's. He played soccer. He maintained a paper route and worked at the Fruit Juice House to help support his family. He helped care for his younger siblings. He graduated from RonCalli High School in 1966.

Rather than wait for his draft number to be called, Jim enlisted in the United States Army, serving from 1968-1970. An infantryman, he saw combat in Vietnam. Like many veterans, Jim was deeply proud of his service and deeply impacted by it. In 2019, he was chosen as a Chicago Honor Flight recipient: He flew to Washington, DC, alongside other veterans; toured the Mall; and saw Collin Powell speak. This experience was both emotional and validating. Jim was grateful for the many letters he received from loved ones and was overcome by the welcome he and other veterans received from their families upon their return home.

Jim worked a variety of jobs throughout the 70s and early 80s-from construction to bartending-before beginning his career at Fermi Lab as an electrical mechanical technician, where he worked for nearly 30 years.

Jim met his beloved wife, Cookie, in 1977. They married in 1983, and welcomed daughters Jonna and Jenny in 1984 and 1987. While no spouse or parent can be perfect, Jim came awfully close. He was our provider and our protector, our advisor and our advocate, our encourager and our comforter, our cook and our craftsman. His favorite compliment was being told that he had a lovely family. He was so proud to be our dad.

Jimmy loved nothing more than a good time with those he loved. Whether it was making dinner, one of our tennis tournaments, a road trip with one of his brothers, drinks at the Phoenix Club, or a Sunday afternoon watching the Bears and NASCAR, Dad was there to enjoy himself.

And he was there when you needed him: Whether it was a few bucks, his truck, or his time, Dad was most fulfilled when he was able to lend a hand.

He is preceded in death by his parents, Marcus and Eva Schwartz; his brothers, Joseph Schwartz, Peter Schwartz, Richard Schwartz, John Schwartz, Michael Schwartz, and Steven Schwartz; and his sister, Margaret Olsen.

He is survived by his wife, Caroline Schwartz; his daughters, Jonna Schwartz and Jenny (Todd) Linder; his granddaughters, Jet Schwartz and Shelby Linder; his brother, Mark (Dorothy) Schwartz; his sisters, Marcia Chouinard, Cheryl Walker, and Eva (Barry) Benson; and many nieces, nephews, and dear friends.

A visitation for Jim will take place at The Healy Chapel, 332 W. Downer Pl., Aurora, IL 60506 on Tuesday, July 1, 2025, from 4:00-8:00 pm. Funeral services will be at the chapel on Wednesday, July 2, 2025, at 10:00 am, followed by burial at Lincoln Memorial Cemetery in Aurora.

In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation in Jim's name to the American Heart Association (www.heart.org) or Honor Flight Chicago (www.honorflightchicago.org).