Dr. Francis Robert “Bud” Schwartz

Dr. Francis Robert “Bud” Schwartz passed away peacefully at Dominican Hospital in Santa Cruz on June 3, 2020, after complications from a recent surgery. Bud was born in Hazelton, PA, on June 17, 1924, to George A. Schwartz, generous and respected businessman of Lehighton, PA, and Agnes (Buckland) Schwartz. Bud graduated from Lehighton High School circa 1941 and enlisted in the U.S. Naval Reserve (USNR) in 1942. Upon matriculation at the College of the Holy Cross (Worcester, MA), Bud served as a USNR midshipman and earned his commission as an Ensign, USNR, upon graduation from Holy Cross in 1943. After graduating from the Thomas Jefferson Medical College (Philadelphia, PA) in 1948 and subsequent completion of his internship at St. Vincent Hospital (New York, NY), Bud was promoted to Lieutenant Junior Grade and served as a flight surgeon initially at Pensacola Naval Air Station soon after his training in Naval aviation medicine. During a summer residency at Cape Cod Hospital (MA), he met Mary Agnes O’Donnell, RN, whom he married in 1950. Throughout his active duty career, Bud served as a flight surgeon on the USS Hornet during the Korean War and later as a flight surgeon with the newly formed U.S. Air Force in New Jersey. Enticed by an opportunity to practice aviation medicine with United Airlines and settle in the San Francisco Bay Area, Bud packed his black ‘53 Buick Special and headed west to California, which, at that post-war time, attracted many veterans. Mary and his two toddler sons followed on a United flight. Bud settled in San Mateo, CA, in 1954 with sons Francis Robert, Jr., and Thomas Augustine. His third son John Theodore and his daughter Maura Denise were born in California. In 1960, Bud completed a residency in obstetrics and gynecology at UC San Francisco (with membership in the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology) and practiced in San Mateo (Mills Hospital) and later in Hayward, CA, (Kaiser Permanente), finally retiring at the age of 82. Shortly after Mary passed away in November, 2014, Bud moved to his adoptive hometown of Santa Cruz, where he made new friends and thoroughly enjoyed his retirement at Dominican Oaks. Aside from his distinguished practice of medicine, Bud was an enthusiastic World War I and World War II aero historian. In addition, Bud devoted much of his free time as a volunteer medical advisor to local Bay Area chapters of Alcoholics Anonymous, an activity that brought him international notoriety among his colleagues.

Bud is survived by his 3 sons, Francis Robert Jr, Thomas Augustine (Elizabeth), John Theodore (Roslyn) and his daughter Maura Denise as well as grandchildren Heather Benson (Mark) of Portland, OR; Lindsey Schwartz of Palo Alto, CA; Haley Schwartz of Campbell, CA; and Jack, Mary and Kelly McGinn, all from Aptos, CA, as well as his great-grandchildren Luke and Taylor Benson. Burial at St. John’s Cemetery will be private.