Jean Ruth Schwarz (Milan) died peacefully at home on July 19, 2023. She was 86 years old. Jean was born Sept. 8, 1936, in Detroit, MI, the third child of Walter and Martha (Dubitsky) Milan. Jean grew up in Almont, MI. She trained to be a nurse in MI, moved to Chicago and soon became a head nurse at Weiss Memorial Hospital in Chicago where she met her husband, Dr. Joseph J. Schwarz. They were married in Chicago Sept. 15, 1965. The couple lived briefly in Chicago before settling in Deerfield, IL, where they raised their five children.
Jean is survived by her children, Dr. Ingrid (Paul) Wolf of Munster, Indiana; Blanche (Marty) Esgar of Highland Park; Joe (Jane) Schwarz of Palatine; Paul (Sandy) Schwarz of Glenview, and Carl (Edye) Schwarz of Highland Park. Jean was the loving grandmother of Henry, Frank, Hazel, and Louis Wolf; Edward, Warren, Vivian, and Donald Esgar; Andrew, Matthew, and Ava Schwarz; and Brett Kaplan.
Jean was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, and all of her siblings: Walt Milan, Doris Gillean, Joan Bristol, and Thomas Milan.
Jean was a longtime member of St. Gregory’s Episcopal Church in Deerfield, where she was an integral member (and often a leader) of the Altar Guild and the Building and Grounds Team. She gave countless hours to the church but is well known for making dozens of loaves of pumpkin bread to sell during the church’s pumpkin sales. Jean was an amazing mother to her children, always supporting their education and activities as shown by her many years as PTO president and devoted cheerleader at sporting and school events. She was the President of the Kings Cove homeowners association for 23 years. Jean served many different roles within the Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts, helping all of her sons on their paths to become Eagle Scouts.
All will remember Jean as an incredibly hard working person with a kind and loyal heart, forever willing to help others, but fiercely independent and humble.
A memorial service, followed directly by the burial of her cremains in the churchyard, will be held at St. Gregory’s Episcopal Church in Deerfield on Saturday, August 5 at 10 a.m.
Memorial donations may be sent to The Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation, 230 E. Ohio Street, Suite 500, Chicago, IL 60611 or visit https://fundraise.givesmart.com/vf/PFFTribute/JeanSchwarz or Text PFFTribute1340 to 71777.
