John E. Schwab
John Edward Schwab, 82, passed away peacefully surrounded by the love and support of his family on November 4th, 2020 at Hope Health Hospice/Philip Hulitar Hospice Center. He was born in Providence, the son of the late Christopher Franz and Beatrice Josephine (Payette) Schwab. He was loved by many, especially his late wife of 60 years Ruth (Souza) Schwab, children Paul, Tammy, Chris and Kristin, grandsons Aidan and Brett, daughters-in-law Jen and Therese, son-in-law Wayne, sister-in-law Marge Canisius and his late brother Paul, as well as lifelong friends Helen Lewis and Joan Martin. He also had a large extended family on the Souza side that he loved dearly.
Jack lived and worked for his wife, children, and friends. After graduating from East Providence High School, he served 5 years in the US Marines and then managed the families nursing homes and worked for some years at PepsiCo. He was proud of his children and believed in their abilities, always encouraging them to have confidence in themselves and follow their dreams. He treasured his two grandsons, Aidan and Brett and enjoyed attending their sporting events and was exceedingly proud of all their accomplishments. An animal lover at heart, he especially loved his black lab Sampson, his faithful companion of many years.
Jack was an empathetic man who was known as a good listener. Having persevered through many of his own ailments and life challenges, he held judgement of others, and was often a source of comfort to those seeking a shoulder to lean on. He was generous with what he had, including his time, and always did what he could to help those in need.
In his younger years, He was known to play a mean game of badminton and ride his bike all over town with baby Kristin in tow. Notably, he was the patriarch of the Schwab family paper route dynasty. Every Sunday, at the crack of dawn and in all weather, he drove his children and their friends around Barrington in the family station wagon, and later, his little red truck delivering over 300 newspapers so they could have pocket money and learn some important life lessons along the way. In his later years, he enjoyed living in St. Petersburg, Florida where he left many friends and a piece of his heart.
He is now at peace with his wife Ruth, his closest friends George, Donny, Iggy, Sampson and many others he had loved and lost.
We will celebrate Jack’s life privately with family. Donations can be made in his memory to the vital and caring organizations that provided Jack and his family with compassion and support:
- Southcoast VNA Hospice
200 Mill Road, Fairhaven, MA 02791
https://www.southcoast.org/visiting-nurse-association/donate-southcoast-vna/
- Hope Health Hulitar Hospice Centerhttps://www.hopehealthco.org/ways-to-give/why-give/
- 1085 North Main St., Providence, RI 02904