Jay Schwartz

FUNERAL SERVICE: 12:00 PM on Tuesday, September 2, 2025, at Congregation Etz Chaim, 1190 Indian Hills Pkwy NE, Marietta, GA 30068, immediately followed by a burial at Arlington Memorial Park, 201 Mount Vernon Hwy, Sandy Springs, GA 30328.
FUNERAL SERVICE LIVESTREAM: Please click here to attend the funeral service via livestream.
GRAVESIDE SERVICE LIVESTREAM: Please click here to attend the graveside service via livestream.
SHIVA: Shiva will be held at the Schwartz family home. Please contact Dressler's for details.

OBITUARY

Jay Neal Schwartz passed away on August 29th, 2025 after fighting his 5th bout with cancer in 15 years. A man led by his dedication and commitment to those around him, he lived his life with love, curiosity, and gentleness.

Jay Neal Schwartz was born in the Bronx on December 21st , 1947, during the worst snowstorm of the decade. After moving to California with his older brother, Stephan, and his baby sister, Reisa, he stayed on the West Coast where he earned a Master's in psychology from Berkeley. He and Elaine married in 1991. Together, they built a beautiful home and filled it with Judaism, love, and laughter. His son, Joshua, was born in California, and soon after they made their way to Atlanta, GA where his daughter Rachel was born (also in a snowstorm!). Jay's career in Atlanta was as a project manager for AT&T, formally BellSouth, where he also helped lead social and philanthropic programs.

Jay adored his family. He loved sitting and watching birds with his wife Elaine, working in his woodshop with his daughter, Rachel, and going out for all-you-can eat sushi with his son Josh. His joy in having a warm, inviting home was evident during the holidays when friends and their families would fill the house with good conversation and laughter. Jay was a deep thinker and would often be seen in a focused, 1-on-1 conversation while everyone else was mingling. He always found time to volunteer wherever his children were: parent committees at the Epstein School, assistant coaching youth sports leagues, and Cub Scouts, among others. He loved family board game nights, family vacations, and teaching his kids and friends' kids his favorite games like chess. When Jay, his siblings and cousins would sit in a room, the Schwartz sense of humor would take over and no one within hearing distance would be able to stop laughing.

Jay's passion was learning. He was involved in Congregation Etz Chaim's adult Bnai Mitzvah class where he learned to read Hebrew and chant Haftarah. His proudest moment was celebrating his Bar Mitzvah with his class on April 17th, 2021. He picked up hobbies, mastered them, and shared his successes with those around him. His thrown pottery pieces from his 20s sit on shelves around his home. His poignant film photographs from studio setups and events line walls and photo albums. His bountiful gardens filled friends' salads and dessert trays for years. And his most famous hobby, woodworking, has filled his family and friends' homes with beloved masterpieces. In the last few years, Jay's dedication to woodworking became his lifeforce. He made furniture for his family home and beautiful cutting boards and clocks for his family and friends. He built a six-foot high portable bar for his son and a 10-person extending dining room table with his daughter. His works of art are part of his legacy that he knew he wanted to leave behind, and will be cherished forever.

Jay is predeceased by his parents, Joseph and Dorothy, brother Stephan, and brother-in-law David. He is survived by his wife, Elaine, his children Josh & Rachel, his sister Reisa Freehling and sister-in-law Joanne Schwartz, as well as his niece Sara, nephews Zac and Aaron, great niece and nephew, and close cousins.