Robert James Schwarz

ROBERT (BOB) SCHWARZ 1950 ‐ 2021

Robert (Bob) Schwarz, long time resident of Santa Fe, NM, passed away on Monday August 2, 2021, in his home, surrounded by his family, after a 5‐year battle with aggressive prostate cancer. Bob was born April 9, 1950, to Linus and Dorothy Schwarz in Roxbury Wisconsin, where, as a young boy, he fondly remembered exploring the woods, ponds, and fields. The family moved to Prairie du Sac where Bob excelled at sports at Sauk Prairie Schools. His parents thrilled in watching his Friday night football games, and there also, he proudly held track records for many years. He went on to receive his BA from University of WI‐Madison and his MBA from the Thunderbird School of Global Management in Phoenix, AZ. Bob was an independent and adventurous spirit; as a young man, he traveled solo by bicycle across the US, explored Mexico (where he gained Spanish fluency) and Europe. He settled in New Mexico in 1980 and dove into the construction industry, building homes and learning about construction, culminating in years spent building his own (first) home in Lamy, NM. When not at work and raising his young family, he wandered, explored, and fell in love with the beauty of NM—backpacking, hiking, camping, studying maps, plotting his adventures. As time progressed, Bob transitioned to work in the specialty plumbing and hardware sales industry. Bob and Kathy anne Fennema met in the building industry when they jointly managed a decorative plumbing showroom in Albuquerque. They bonded and together recognized a need for a boutique, specialty plumbing and hardware showroom in Santa Fe. They pooled their resources and opened Santa Fe By Design in 2002. Bob and Kathy dedicated themselves to providing Santa Fe area builders a resource for purchasing fine, high‐quality products for new construction or remodeling projects. Over the years, they connected to similar boutique showrooms and vendors on a national level, sharing best practices, ensuring that SFBD always offered cutting edge products, style, and service. Bob and Kathy were married in 2004. Together they were 24/7 work, family, life and play partners. Over the years, Bob worked hard to maintain his athletic physique with regular gym attendance. Kathy’s athleticism matched Bob’s and they built their life together sharing many outdoor activities when not devoting their time to nurturing SFBD: hiking, camping, kayaking, winter skiing, sailing, traveling, as well as a good hot tub soak, good food, and good whiskey (Bob). Bob’s generosity shows in so many ways: helping someone migrate to the US years ago (still in the SFBD family today), adopting two family youngsters out of challenging circumstances with no regard for himself but only to help them (because it was the right thing to do), spending an afternoon building a friend’s fence, or fixing a faucet, or a drain, or finding the right solution for a customer’s problem. Bob exhibited a selflessness, love and caring for others that was unique. Bob is survived by his loving wife and partner Kathy anne, and his children: Joseph ‘Josey’ Schwarz (Lisa) of Colorado Springs, CO; Julia Schwarz (Paco) of Miami, FL; Buck Schwarz (Tish) of Santa Fe, NM; and Leah Schwarz of Santa Fe, NM. He is also survived by his siblings: Richard (Pat) Schwarz of Honolulu, HI; Mary (Chuck) Anderson of Middleton, WI; Joan (Mike) Morey of Middleton, WI; Rita (Denny) Olin of Fitchburg, WI; and Barbara (Kurt Osterby) Schwarz of Santa Fe NM. He is also survived by his first wife, Patricia Schwarz of Waskom, TX, his grandchildren Alex, Skippy, and Robbie, as well as many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents. A memorial service will be held at the Rivera Funeral Home, 417 Rodeo Road, Santa Fe, NM on Saturday August 28, 2021, at 1pm. In lieu of flowers, gifts to an education fund for Bob’s youngest daughter, Leah Schwarz, are appreciated; please make gifts payable to Kathy anne Fennema, c/o Santa Fe By Design, 1512 Pacheco St., Suite D101, Santa Fe, NM 87505. The family also extends a special thank you to hospice nurse Janet Smith for her attention and care to Bob and his family. Memorials may be made in Bob’s name to her foundation, which provides palliative care for those in need – go to cpcnnm.org to donate or for more information.