Leonard Jay Schwartz

Leonard J Schwartz passed away on October 13, 2022, at 79. He died peacefully. He was preceded in death by his parents Oscar & Ethel (nee Eastman) Schwartz. As well as his parents-in-law, Milton & Paulene Eichelbaum. He is survived by his daughter Michele Schwartz, her husband Jesse Gordon, and his two grandchildren Elliott & Mirah Gordon. He is also survived by his wife of over 55 years, Sandy E Schwartz; his siblings and their spouses, Alan & Dr. Joyce Schwartz, Linda & Andy Schwartz-Wright; brother & sister in law Melvin & Marlene Eichelbaum. Leonard is also survived by his numerous nieces and nephews, their children, and many cousins. Leonard was born September 23, 1943, in San Antonio, Texas. He graduated with a BA in Accounting from the University of Texas at Austin, where he was a member of the Jewish fraternity Tau Delta Phi. He graduated with his JD from the University of Texas Law School. He was a proud alumni and a lifelong Texas Longhorns fan, even establishing a scholarship for law students in honor of his parents. Later, Leonard would become a member of the University's President's Council, Chancellor's Council, and an adjunct law professor. He donated his salary for teaching back to the UT Law School. While in law school, he was on the UT Main Campus to pay for parking tickets when the first major school shooting in the United States occurred at the UT Tower. He helped to save the life of two others without regard for his own safety. A theme that would play out for the rest of his life. In his first cases, he represented students and teachers in freedom of speech cases which became landmark decisions that eventually his daughter Michele would study in journalism school. He went on to represent conscientious objectors to the Vietnam war. He was among the first to acknowledge equality in the workforce for women and the LGBTQ+ community. He tried to help shatter the glass ceiling for women attorneys to become named partners by establishing a licensed on-site daycare at his firm, Schwartz & Eichelbaum. Following law school, Leonard initially took a position working in a prominent New York City firm. After a woman on a subway ride pushed him and he pushed back, he decided at that minute that it was time to move with his family back to San Antonio. Two years after returning to San Antonio, Leonard, his wife Sandy, and their daughter Michele left again to move to Columbus, Ohio, for Leonard to take the position as the Legal Director with the Ohio State ACLU, where he fought for voting rights, to reform prisons and campaign laws and as a very young attorney argued before the United States Supreme Court. While with the ACLU, he was the lead attorney representing the shooting victims and parents of the four murdered students at Kent State to sue the governor of Ohio and the National Guard for damages. A case that was eventually won. While living in Ohio, Leonard rose to be the Assistant Secretary of State for Elections. When Michele was almost of bat mitzvah age, he again decided to eschew his job to return to Texas to be closer to family. They settled in Austin. The family regularly drove to San Antonio for the Eastman-Bankler-Schwartz family Sunday Lunch, a tradition dating back to Leonard's childhood. Leonard eventually started the premier firm specializing in school law. As the managing partner of Schwartz & Eichelbaum, he argued and won a case in front of the United States Supreme Court, one of his proudest achievements. He was named a member of Law Review, the Who's Who in American Law, Who's Who in the South & Southwest, and the Who's Who in Education. Leonard's last position was as the in-house counsel to the Texas State School for the Deaf, where he again championed the cause of those often powerless within the justice system. Although Leonard had many career highlights, his first love was his family. He shared his love of history, travel, and study with them, culminating in a six-week trip to the historical eastern United States upon daughter Michele's graduation from high school. In recent years Leonard took was a regular at Temple Beth Shalom Torah Study, a founding donor for the Jewish Community Center of Austin and the new campus, and a champion of Jewish Family Services. Leonard asked for donations in his memory to be made to the ACLU to further their work to protect our freedom of speech and democracy. The family wishes to thank the many people who make up Hospice Austin for their care in Leonard's last month. There are no words for their generosity of spirit, and respect. After a private burial service, the family will have minyan on Sunday, 16 October @ 4:00 pm at the home of Michele Schwartz and Jesse Gordon -- 4208 Cat Hollow Drive.

Leonard Jay Schwartz

September 23, 1943 - October 13, 2022