Michael B. Schwartz, 86, of the Near North Side of Chicago, a retired bank executive and automobile dealer, died Tuesday in Highland Park Hospital. He spent 30 years in the automobile business and was the founder of Howard Motors, a Chrysler-Plymouth dealership at 5711 S. Western Ave. After he sold his business to the Chrysler Corp. in 1964, Mr. Schwartz joined Mercantile National Bank as vice president and head of the consumer credit division. He became the bank’s president in 1978. A Chicago native, Mr. Schwartz graduated from Englewood High School. In 1932, he played on the semiprofessional basketball team that won the Chicago city championship. He served as president and director of the Chicago Automobile Trade Association, chairman of the 1963 Chicago Auto Show and a director of the Chicago Better Business Bureau. Survivors include a daughter, Barrie Menaker; a son, Michael R. Schwartz; five grandchildren; and a great-grandchild. A funeral service will be held at 11 a.m. Friday in Piser Chapel, 9200 N. Skokie Blvd., Skokie.
