Funeral Details

Ronald Mark Swartz

May 28, 1945 - May 25, 2022

SERVICE INFORMATION

Date and Time

Tuesday, May 31, 2022 at 10:00 AM

Service

Chicago Jewish Funerals
Skokie Chapel
8851 Skokie Boulevard
Skokie, Illinois 60077
Get Directions

Clergy

Rabbi Rachel Heaps
Temple Jeremiah

Interment - Private

Shiva

Morgen Residence
2031 Glendale Avenue
Northbrook, Illinois 60062
773.704.0103
Get Directions
Tuesday immediately following the funeral service until 8PM.
There are “no parking signs” that can be ignored on Glendale Avenue, that the police have authorized.

Memorial Contributions

ACLU
ACLU Development
125 Broad Street, 18th Floor
New York, New York 10004
www.aclu.org
or
Greater Chicago Food Depository
4100 W. Ann Lurie Place
Chicago, Illinois 60621
www.chicagosfoodbank.org
or
Charity of your choosing




OBITUARY

Ronald Mark Swartz, 76, died peacefully on May 25, following prolonged lung disease. For over 40 years, Ron served on the faculty of Oakland University in Rochester Hills, Michigan as a Professor of Education and Philosophy.

A student of philosophers such as Karl Popper, A.S. Neill, Joseph Agassi, and Thomas Szasz, Ron envisioned a world in which values like self-determination, autonomy, democracy, and fallibilism guided education and informed understandings of mental health.

As a true student of life, Ron used all his experiences to inform his books, essays, dialogues, and poems. He hoped that his ideas "illuminated a small aspect of this infinite labyrinth we call our world," and that, although "our quest for better theories is unending," we continue to strive for these ideals together.

Ron is survived by his wife of over 50 years Susan (nee Rosenbaum), daughter Marla (Allen) Morgen, grandchildren Dana and Ian, brother Barry (Sharon) Swartz, and countless family, lifelong friends, colleagues, and students. He is preceded in death by his parents Sylvia (nee Diamond) and Ivan Swartz and brother Robert Swartz. May his memory be for a blessing.

Service Tuesday, May 31, 2022,10 AM at Chicago Jewish Funerals, 8851 Skokie Blvd, (at Niles Center Road), Skokie. Interment private. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to ACLU, ACLU Development, 125 Broad St. 18th FL, New York, NY 10004, www.aclu.org, Greater Chicago Food Depository, 4100 W. Ann Lurie Place, Chicago, IL 60632, www.chicagosfoodbank.org or the charity of your choosing. To attend the funeral live stream, please visit our website. Arrangements by Chicago Jewish Funerals - Skokie Chapel, 847.229.8822, www.cjfinfo.com


GUEST BOOK

We encourage you to share your personal condolences and stories of Ronald Mark Swartz below and we will share them with the family.
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Dear Susan and family, this afternoon I learned from Nancy Duffy that Ron's obituary had appeared in the Sunday Free Press. I read it with combination of sadness and joy -sadness for you and you family as you begin to put together the coming days and weeks knowing that you will not be sharing them with Ron and joy for the amazing life you shared. If I remember right you went to Russia to celebrate 50 years of marriage.
I have such good memories of Ron's winning smile, sweet laugh and warm greetings whenever I was with both of you. I can still see t he two of our dancing in our home following my marriage to Jim. Know that you, Marla, your son-in-law and grandchildren are in my thoughts.

Love, Mary

Mary Porter
May 29, 2022
Dear Susan,
Ron was a deep thinker, a generous spirit and a kind soul. The world was lucky he was here. Many condolences, Clara

Clara Sheffer
June 10, 2022
Ron was a kind, helpful, and principled colleague, always generous with his time and wise counsel. I will miss him.
JimQ

Jim Quinn
March 20, 2023
Dear family and friends of Ron. I met Ron at Oakland University in 1972. I was a student studying Physics, Philosophy and Education. Ron was teaching a philosophy class on Philosophical Aspects of Belief Systems. It was a small class of about twenty people. He was interested in expanding his understanding of topics and that of his students through open discussions. We spoke often. I consider him a friend and influencer. He encouraged me to work on a PhD in the Philosophy of Physics. We bonded. I am forever grateful that God set our paths together for a short while. He was a wonderful individual full of life, awe and wonder. I look forward to someday renewing our friendship and pondering life from a different view point.

Wesley Phillips
July 14, 2023
Susan and Marla ...

I just discovered that Ron had died in 2022. I was shocked and saddened by this news.

Ron was a great influence on my life and on my professional career. I wish I had had a chance to tell him how much I valued his friendship and our time together when I was at Oakland University.

Warm regards,
Gary

Gary Klein
January 9, 2024