Martin W. “Bill” Schwartz, 67, of Addison, a former state and Big Ten wrestling standout who went on to teach physical education and coach wrestling at West Leyden High School, died Sunday in Elmhurst Memorial Hospital.
A Quincy, Ill., native, Mr. Schwartz was a state middleweight wrestling champion at Quincy High School in 1948. He went on to succeed in wrestling at the University of Illinois, becoming captain of back-to-back Big Ten championship wrestling teams. He received his bachelor’s degree in 1952 and tried out for the U.S. Olympic wrestling team the same year.
Mr. Schwartz entered the Army in 1954 and was a bayonet and tank instructor at Ft. Knox, Ky. He also served in the Navy.
In 1955, Mr. Schwartz began a 32-year career with Leyden High Schools, teaching five years at Leyden High School in Franklin Park and then joining the faculty of West Leyden in Northlake in 1960 when that campus was opened. While with Leyden High Schools, he taught physical education, was assistant athletic director and department head, coached football and wrestling and produced a state wrestling champion–Rick Almada, in the mid-1970s. He retired in 1987.
In 1993, state wrestling officials honored Mr. Schwartz’s accomplishments by naming him a grand marshal of ceremonies at the state wrestling championships in Champaign. A hard-working man, with an incredibly upbeat, positive attitude, Mr. Schwartz was a fair, but tough, teacher, said his daughter Terry Meyers.
“He was a wonderful person. We had great respect for him and liked him very much,” said Rick Almada’s mother, Emilia, who kept in touch with Mr. Schwartz after her son graduated. “He was encouraging and a great role model.”
Called Rudy by those who knew him, Mr. Schwartz was the youngest of 12 children, who would lose their mother, Meyers said. He ran away from home at 15 years old to live with a sister so he could further his education. At Illinois, he worked in the kitchen at his fraternity to earn his room and board.
“He was a tough guy, but as sweet and as loving a man as you’d ever want to meet,” Meyers said.
Other survivors include his wife, Arlene; another daughter, Jill Cornman-Muschong; two sons, Ted and Mark; two sisters; a brother; and 10 grandchildren. Mass will be said at 10 a.m. Wednesday in St. Philip the Apostle Catholic Church, 1223 W. Holtz Ave., Addison.
