Oakland

Local Businessman and Jazz Musician Bob Schwartz, 92

Published

9 years ago

February 25, 2017

Robert A.D. Schwartz, local business businessman, philanthropist, patron of the arts, and jazz musician, died last Saturday, Feb. 18 at the age of 92.

Born in 1925 in Chicago, Ill., Schwartz received his B.S. in June 1944 from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (M.I.T.). Upon graduation, he became an Ensign in the Navy and was sent to the Pacific.

He was an Oakland resident since 1951. He earned a Doctor of Jurisprudence degree from Golden Gate University Law School, becoming a member of the California State Bar in 1974.

In 1952, he founded Schwartz & Lindheim Inc. Electrical Contractors. The company evolved over the ensuing years to become Key Source International, Inc., a business that develops, and manufactures keyboards for education, retail/point of sale (POS), telecom, government, banking, and healthcare markets.

In 2016, Keysource International was named winner of the 2016 American Hospital Association’s Healthcare Environment (AHE) Innovation Award recognizing the company’s technological excellence. Key Source International was

In November, the Oakland City Council passed a resolution recognizing the company for its award winning work.

As Chairman of the Northern California Democratic Party, he worked tirelessly for the first campaign of Jerry Brown for Governor. He also worked on the campaigns of US Congressman Ron Dellums, US Congresswoman Barbara Lee, and California State Senator Nicholas Petris.

A philanthropist, Schwartz served as chairman of Urban Strategies Council, a non-profit organization, which works to eliminate persistent poverty in the Bay Area.

He founded the Robert A.D. Schwartz Foundation in 1979. The foundation’s mission is to develop vocational, musical and citizenship educational programs.

The Schwartz Foundation has been a major supporter of the Oakland Symphony and the Oakland Symphony Youth Orchestra.

He also founded Peer Tutoring Resources Center, which works to support the development of caring and collaborative citizens by enhancing the use, expansion and sustainability of peer tutoring – a model engaging students as instructors and leaders in classrooms and across schools.

He was named Oakland Citizen of the Year in 1996.

Schwartz had a long history as a musician, a tenor saxophonist and clarinetist, going back to his college days. While he was a student at M.I.T., he organized a 15-piece band, the “Techtonians,” which performed in 1943-1944.

Until recently, he was active as the leader of his new band, “The Therapists,” which performed for free at local senior seniors.

He produced two CDs as executive producer, Comeback Jazz and Comeback Jazz with Dance. The Comeback Jazz website is comebackjazz.org.

Schwartz is survived by his brother Charles (Susan) and sister Polly; wife Debbra; their children Margot and Noah; former wife Deanna Osterberg; their son David (Myla) and grandson Alexander; children Robert (Chan-Sook), Stevon, Paul (Pamela), and Donald (Elizabeth); grandchildren Shinyung, Yea-Eun, Aeri, Junghee, Jaegyun, Borami, Jaeman, Charles, Donald, and Samuel; as well as one great-grandson Alpha Buta.

A memorial service will be scheduled at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, send donations to the Southern Poverty Law Center ( www.splc.org) or the Peer Tutoring Resource Center (www.peertutoringresource.org).

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Financial Wellness and Mental Health: Managing Money Stress in College 

While everyone’s financial situation is unique, several common sources of stress have the potential to strain your financial health. These include financial and economic uncertainty, existing debts, unexpected expenses, and mental or physical health changes. Financial stress may differ from situation to situation, but understanding the factors contributing to yours may help you begin to craft a plan for your unique circumstances.

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3 weeks ago

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Sponsored by JPMorganChase

As a college student, managing financial responsibilities can be stressful.

If you’ve found yourself staying up late thinking about your finances or just feeling anxious overall about your financial future, you’re not alone. In one survey, 78% of college students who reported financial stress had negative impacts on their mental health, and 59% considered dropping out. While finances can impact overall stress, taking steps to manage your finances can support your mental, emotional and physical well-being.

When it comes to money, the sources of stress may look different for each student, but identifying the underlying causes and setting goals accordingly may help you feel more confident about your financial future.

Consider these strategies to help improve your financial wellness and reduce stress.

Understand what causes financial stress

2. Determine your financial priorities

Start by reflecting on your financial priorities. For students this often includes paying for school or paying off student loans, studying abroad, saving for spring break, building an emergency fund, paying down credit card debt or buying a car. Name the milestones that are most important to you, and plan accordingly.

3. Create a plan and stick to it

While setting actionable goals starts you on the journey to better financial health, it’s essential to craft a plan to follow through. Identifying and committing to a savings plan may give you a greater sense of control over your finances, which may help reduce your stress. Creating and sticking to a budget allows you to better track where your money is going so you may spend less and save more.

4. Pay down debt

Many students have some form of debt and want to make progress toward reducing their debt obligations. One option is the debt avalanche method, which focuses on paying off your debt with the highest interest rate first, then moving on to the debt with the next-highest interest rate. Another is the debt snowball method, which builds momentum by paying off your smallest debt balance, and then working your way up to the largest amounts.

5. Build your financial resilience

Some financial stress may be inevitable, but building financial resilience may allow you to overcome obstacles more easily. The more you learn about managing your money, for instance, the more prepared you’ll feel if the unexpected happens. Growing your emergency savings also may increase resilience since you’ll be more financially prepared to cover unexpected expenses or pay your living expenses.

6. Seek help and support

Many colleges have resources to help students experiencing financial stress, like financial literacy courses or funds that provide some assistance for students in need. Talk to your admissions counselor or advisor about your concerns, and they can direct you to sources of support. Your school’s counseling center can also be a great resource for mental health assistance if you’re struggling with financial stress.

The bottom line

Financial stress can affect college students’ health and wellbeing, but it doesn’t have to derail your dreams. Setting smart financial goals and developing simple plans to achieve them may help ease your stress. Revisit and adjust your plan as needed to ensure it continues to work for you, and seek additional support on campus as needed to help keep you on track.

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