Visitation: SATURDAY, May 22, 2021: 3-4 pm at The Dietrich Funeral Homes, Inc. 2480 Kensington Ave., Amherst.
Service: SATURDAY, May 22, 2021: A Memorial
Service will be held at The Dietrich Funeral Homes, Inc. at 4 pm. SCHWARTZ – Edward C.
Entered into rest April 22, 2021, of
Cheektowaga. Beloved husband of
the late Mary Louise (Houck) Schwartz
and the late Jean (nee Boehmke)
LaBarr Schwartz; loving father to
Mary (late M. Kenneth) McGuinness,
Margaret Schwartz, Susan Schwartz,
Elizabeth (Kevin) Kibler and Patricia
Schwartz; devoted grandfather of
Kathleen McGuinness; dearest
brother of Shirley (late Paul) Kreppel;
also survived by three step-children;
four step-grandchildren and two step
great-grandchildren along with many
nieces and nephews. The family will
be present on Saturday, May 22, from
3-4 PM, followed by a Memorial
Service
at 4 PM, at THE DIETRICH FUNERAL
HOME, INC., 2480 Kensington Ave.,
Amherst where social distancing and
face covering protocol will be observed.
Flowers gratefully declined. Memorials
may be made to BuffaloMaritimeCenter.
org or the NiagaraAerospaceMuseum.org.
Online condolences may be shared at
www.TheDietrichFuneralHome.com May 13, 1924 – April 22, 2021

Edward C. Schwartz, a physicist who led the development of advanced radar systems for military aircraft at Calspan Corp., died April 22 in Kenmore Mercy Hospital after a brief illness. He was 96.

His work on sophisticated control system logarithms gave radar-guided military planes the ability to fly low over rough and mountainous areas. Recognized as “The Father of Terrain-Following Systems,” he was inducted into the Niagara Frontier Aviation and Space Hall of Fame in 2001.

Born in Buffalo, Mr. Schwartz was a 1941 graduate of Bennett High School and began working at Linde Air Products after earning his bachelor’s degree in physics from the University of Buffalo in 1944. At Linde, he was involved with the Manhattan Project.

As a teaching assistant working on his master’s degree in physics at UB, he met the former Mary Louise Houck, who was a member of his sister’s sorority. They were married in 1951.

After completing his master’s in 1946, he joined Bell Aircraft, then went in 1952 to what was then Cornell Aeronautical Laboratory, where he worked on many classified military projects, from the B-25 bomber in the 1950s to the B-2 stealth bomber in the late 1980s. A principal physicist in avionics, he retired in 1991.

He and his wife were avid boaters and leaders in the Buffalo Power Squadron. She was due to become the squadron’s first woman commander prior to her death in 1993.

He was a lifetime member and former commander of the squadron. He also wrote and competed in the squadron’s navigation contests.

Mr. Schwartz boated in the Niagara River, the Thousand Islands, the Finger Lakes and the Trent Canal System in Ontario up to Georgian Bay. He also was a member of the Power Squadron in Atlanta, Ga.

An amateur radio enthusiast, he was a licensed extra class radio operator and a member of the Lancaster Amateur Radio Club.

After his wife’s death, he renewed acquaintance with his college girlfriend, the former Jean Boehmke LaBarr, who had become a widow. They were married in 2001 and divided their time between his home in Buffalo and hers in the Atlanta area.

They traveled and cruised extensively, visiting the Holy Land, Europe, Hawaii, Alaska and Florida. They regularly attended senior enrichment courses in their retirement community and he spoke to the classes about his radar development work. She died March 25 at their home in Georgia.

Survivors include five daughters, Mary McGuinness, Margaret Schwartz, Susan Schwartz, Elizabeth Kibler and Patricia Schwartz; two stepdaughters, Wendy Mitchell and Barbara McKay; a stepson, James LaBarr; a sister, Shirley Kreppel; a granddaughter; four step-grandchildren; and two step-great-grandchildren.

A celebration of his life will be held at 4 p.m. May 22 in Dietrich Funeral Home, 2480 Kensington Ave., Snyder.