John Joseph Henry Schwarz, known to everyone as Joe, was a physician, politician and Navy veteran born and raised in Battle Creek.
He had a long career in public service, including serving a term in the U.S. House. Schwarz represented Michigan’s 7th congressional district as a Republican from 2005 to 2007.
He later became an independent and was considered a "moderate Republican" during his time in Congress, where he regularly put his support behind more progressive causes like marriage equality.
Mark Schauer, a Democrat, won the 7th district seat as a Democrat in 2009, and Schwarz endorsed him. Schauer said Schwarz favored bipartisanship.
“Didn't matter, whether someone might characterize [something] as a Democratic or Republican issue. These were non-partisan issues when it came to the people that we represented. And that was a through point through our service together," Schauer said.
Schwarz also served several terms in the Michigan State Senate, many of which overlapped with Schauer.
Early in his career he was elected to the Battle Creek City Commission, and later elected the mayor of Battle Creek in 1984.
“He was a legend in Battle Creek having been mayor, a beloved physician — can't tell you how many constituents that knew Joe as their doctor," Schauer said.
Schwarz earned his medical degree from Wayne State University in 1964, and would later practice as an ENT/head and neck surgeon in Battle Creek for over 40 years.
After medical school, he enlisted in the Navy and served in Vietnam as a battalion surgeon, and later was transferred to diplomatic duty and began work with the CIA.
Schauer described Schwarz as "warm, funny and real" and said he was very proud of his military service.
Battle Creek native and Navy veteran T.R. Shaw said he considered Schwarz like family.
"He was in Vietnam and saw a lot of the things in Vietnam," Shaw said. "He was close to [Arizona Senator] John McCain when he was in Congress and I think they shared a Vietnam bond."
Shaw said Schwarz was a dedicated public servant, and also remembered his personal love of trains.
“He did many train trips across the nation and he was really a rail fanatic. He actually worked to keep Amtrak in Battle Creek and helped out with a lot of the rail issues we had here," Shaw said.
According to Farley Estes and Dowdle Funeral Homes, Schwarz will be interred at Memorial Park Cemetery in Battle Creek. A funeral mass will be held on June 6th.
