Jeffrey A. Schwarz

Jeff was born on September 4th, 1971 in Hinsdale, IL. Following a yearlong battle with Glioblastoma, an aggressive brain cancer, Jeff peacefully passed away on November 26th, 2023, at his Fishers, IN home. He was surrounded by his wife, Jill (Harris) Schwarz, and their children, Madison and Andrew Schwarz. Jeff didn’t let his fight with cancer prevent him from doing the things he loved most such as skiing, hiking, traveling, and spending time with friends and family. He never complained and always remained positive living by his new mantra, “don’t live like you’re trying not to die”. Jeff managed to fit a lifetime of memories and achievements into his 52 years of life. 

Jeff will always be remembered for his ability to light up any room, exceptional sense of humor, humble care for others, and incredible work ethic. One might even consider Jeff the definition of ‘work hard, play hard’. To know Jeff was to love Jeff, and to know you are in for a good time. Alternatively, to know Jeff loved you meant lots of teasing and taunting. And while singing was not one of his many talents, he was never afraid to take the stage because, “it’s not about the singing; it’s all about the stage presence”. 

Jeff attended Zionsville from grade school until high school. He exceled not only in academics as he earned the title of Salutatorian, but also was very involved. He served as class president, captain of the football and basketball team, and ran track. In 1987, Jeff played both offense (running back) and defense (defensive back) on Zionsville’s state championship team. 

Following his graduation from Zionsville High School in 1991, Jeff pursued a major in Economics at Indiana University Bloomington and became a member of the Fiji Fraternity. Not only did he earn an ‘A’ in being the life of the party, but he was also recognized as a Phi Beta Kappa scholar. It was in the middle of Bloomington’s Kilroy's Bar that he met the love of his life and soulmate, Jill. Their first date was at an IU basketball game followed by the Irish Lion. After graduating from Indiana University in 1994, Jeff continued his education at Miami of Ohio where he earned his MBA in business in 1996.

Jeff and Jill dated for three years before getting married in Indianapolis on June 29th, 1996. It is clear to anyone who knows Jeff and Jill, their love for each other is something special. Their relationship was marked by outdoor activities, weekly date nights, and surprise gifts or acts of service to express their love.

After getting married, Jeff and Jill moved to Cincinnati where Jeff worked for his father (Jack Schwarz)’s company, Trey Corrugated. Next, they moved to Boston where Jeff worked for a startup company, Performance Corrugated. After Jack Schwarz sold his company, Jack, Jeff, and Jeff’s brother (John) started Schwarz Partners in Indiana. Although the company grew larger than any of them could have imagined, it was always more than just work to Jeff. He loved his work family and nurtured those relationships. If anyone were to ask Jeff about success of Schwarz Partners, he would give all the credit to his team. He always made a point to make the workplace fun and for people to not take everything so seriously. Jeff was frequently the ring-leader of workplace pranks and spontaneous happy hours. 

Jeff was dedicated to his work during the week but embraced a 'weekend warrior' lifestyle on his days off. In his free time Jeff enjoyed snow skiing, boating, running, collecting wine, walking the dogs, golfing, traveling, listening to music, and spending time with friends and family. In addition, he enjoyed cheering on the Colts, Ganassi IndyCar racing, IU, and anyone playing against Purdue. 

Overall, the most important thing to Jeff was family. Sundays were always dedicated to family time and consisted of Jeff watching football with Andrew and cooking new recipes with Jill and Madison. Jeff always made it clear how much he loved his children through making special time for each of them. He loved to fish with Andrew and have spur-of-the-moment singing/dancing parties with Madison. In addition, he had a special place in his heart for each of his nieces and nephews. 

Aside from working and spending time with his loved ones, giving back to his community was one of Jeff’s core aspirations. Jeff played a major role in creating the Schwarz Family Foundation, which gives scholarships to company employees and Hamilton Southeastern students. In addition, he began serving on the IU Simon Cancer Board in 2019. Jeff stands out in his charitable giving because of his humbleness.

Jeff has profoundly impacted many lives during his time on earth. He will be missed and loved forever.  

Jeff is survived by his wife of 27 years (Jill Harris Schwarz), daughter (Madison), son (Andrew), parents (Jack and Gaye Schwarz), brother (John Schwarz), sisters in-law (Lynn Adler Schwarz, Amy Harris Welker, Susan Hough Harris), brother in-law (Mark Welker), nieces and nephews (Jake, Nathan, Eric, and Zach Schwarz, Mia and Mack Welker, Elaina, Gretchen, and Alec Harris). Jeff is preceded in death by his parents in-law (Jim and Sharon Harris) and brother in-law (Brent Harris).

Join Us to Celebrate Jeff’s Life
Friday, January 26th, 2024
5:00pm – 8:00pm
Daniel’s Vineyard
9061 N 700 W, McCordsville, IN 46055
Casual attire encouraged!

To honor Jeff’s goals of charitable giving, his family would like donations to the Schwarz Family and Friends Simon Cancer Research fund in lieu of flowers. Make a Donation

Learn more about the Schwarz Family and Friends Research Fund