Obituary of John Schwarz
Schwarz: John Henry -
A resident of Chatham, John Schwarz passed away peacefully at the Chatham-Kent Hospice with family at his side on January 2, 2026 at the age of 82.
Born in Chatham, John was the son of the late Otto and Mary (née Stover) Schwarz.
Beloved partner of 15 years to Geraldine Douez and predeceased by first wife Linda Campbell (Pinsonneault).
Loving father to Laurie Schwarz (Scott Ball) and Carie Hughey (Dennis).
Grandfather to Jacob Hughey and Lily Carroll.
Brother to Margaret Wattenburg, Bill Schwarz (Dianne), Carol Stover (Larry), Doug Schwarz and predeceased by siblings Joanne Charron (Gene)and Terry Schwarz.
John will be missed by many nieces, nephews, friends and extended family.
Laurie and Carie would like to express their deepest gratitude and appreciation to the Douez family for their unwavering support during his courageous battle with cancer. Your kindness, love, and encouragement not only helped him through the toughest of times but also showed him the true power of accepting and giving love. We are forever thankful for your presence in our lives.
John was a hard dedicated worker, retiring after 36 years at Siemens. John was a social butterfly, he loved to make new friends and could strike up a conversation with anyone. John was a line dancing enthusiast, and found great joy taking Geraldine to the legion dances.
John's wishes were to be cremated and buried at a later date in Arnold Cemetery.
Donations made in memory of John to the Chatham-Kent Hospice Foundation would be appreciated by the family.
Online condolences may be left at www.mckinlayfuneralhome.com
McKinlay Funeral Home
459 St. Clair Street, Chatham
519-351-2040
Grief Support
The death of someone we care about can be one of the most difficult experiences in life. These articles are meant to describe different types of grief; their intent is to help you understand your own, or to help you empathize with another person's grief.
LEARN MORE >
Our Locations
McKinlay Funeral Homes is pleased to offer services from locations in Ridgetown, Blenheim, and Chatham. We have a wide range of services available in these communities. Please click on the link below for more information about these facilities.
LEARN MORE >
Send Flowers
Our local florists are committed to offering only the finest floral arrangements, and are backed by their professionalism and prompt service. Allow us to take care of your expression of sympathy by connecting with our local florists through our website.
LEARN MORE >
Let Us Help You
Please feel free to browse our pages to learn more about pre-planning a funeral and grief support, as well as the traditional funeral and cremation services that we have to offer. If you have any questions or concerns please feel free to contact us at anytime, we are available by phone or e-mail, or drop by the office in person. We are always here to help.
Ridgetown: Class 1 Funeral Establishment FE-397
Blenheim: Class 1 Funeral Establishment FE-41
Chatham: Class 1 Funeral Establishment FE-174
Nathan McKinlay is in charge of day-to-day operations in Chatham.
Jeff Mardling is in charge of day-to-day operations in Blenheim & Ridgetown.
Click HERE for the Bereavement Authority of Ontario's Consumer Information Guide.