AUBURN — Eric G. Schwarz, of Bethel, died Monday, Feb. 22, at the Hospice House in Auburn. He was born July 31, 1931, in Boston, Mass., the son of Frederick and Florence (Hoeh) Schwarz. He graduated from North High School in Worcester, Mass. After receiving undergraduate and graduate degrees in chemical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, he accepted a position at Union Carbide in Tonawanda, N.Y.
Shortly afterward, he was called to active duty in the Air Force. He was stationed at Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, where he was a development engineer and learned to fly.
After serving in the Air Force, he returned to Union Carbide. He was transferred to Union Carbide’s Technical Center in Tarrytown, N.Y., in 1966 and moved with his family to Somers, N.Y. He took early retirement as a senior development scientist and moved to Bethel in 1987 to pursue his interests in photography, skiing and the outdoors.
His more than 40 years with the National Ski Patrol gave him great satisfaction. He patrolled at Big Birch in Patterson, N.Y., and at Sunday River after moving to Bethel. He helped train a generation of ski patrollers from Sunday River and Gould Academy.
In Bethel, his projects included getting trees planted in town, testing river water and working on the Androscoggin River canoe trail and landings.
Survivors include his wife of 58 years, Lucia; and their children, Stephanie Harris and husband, Scott, of Brookfield, N.H., Peter Schwarz and wife, Kathy, of Bethel, Derek Schwarz and wife, Linda, of Raleigh, N.C.; grandchildren, Jaime Olivo and husband, Christopher, Christopher Schwarz, Ryan Schwarz and wife, Rebekah, Michael Harris, Nicholas Schwarz and Kaylee Schwarz.
