Generous.

Caring.

Spontaneous.

All of these terms have been used to describe Eastern student Mark E. Schwartz.

Schwartz was pronounced dead in the Sarah Bush Lincoln Health Center emergency room on Friday. His funeral was held Wednesday in Pecatonica.

“A dear child”

Schwartz was described as being a “dear child” by his father John Schwartz.

Schwartz was full of life, even if he sometimes lived recklessly, he said.

John said his son was interested in several aspects of biology ranging from entomology to botany. His interest in biology led him to intern with the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency.

John said Mark loved movies and animals, with which he worked closely with when he had worked at both an animal shelter and a movie theater in Yorkville.

John said Mark had not really become too involved around Yorkville and had only worked there for one summer. The family moved to Yorkville after Mark had graduated from Downers Grove North High School in 2004.

“He was loved by all his family and friends,” John said.

Generous and caring

Marks’ sensitive and caring nature made many people come to think of him as a great friend and his death will leave many saddened.

Bill Cozzens’ friendship with Schwartz began with a simple “hi” as they passed each other at Carman Hall in 2004.

Cozzens, a senior sociology major, said he had seen Schwartz around the building and had simply decided to say hi to him one day.

The two became good friends and would often spend time together, because of this Cozzens was exposed to some of Schwartz’s personality quirks.

One that stood out in Cozzens mind was when Mark would make his garbage disposal speak.

He said Mark would open up his garbage disposal and, in a humorous voice, make it speak.

Along with his humor, Cozzens remembered Mark for his generosity.

“He would give you the shirt off his back if you asked him to,” he said.

What impacted Cozzens the most about Mark the most was his open personality.

He said Schwartz was open about everything with people and, because of his friendship with him, Cozzens said this character trait rubbed off onto him.

“He taught me to open up to other people,” Cozzens said.

Kevin Eichhorn also met Mark in Carman Hall during his freshman year at Eastern where he and Mark lived on the same floor.

He said because the two of them had not been part of a fraternity, though Mark was in the Phi Kappa Theta fraternity for a short while, they became friends and often went to parties around campus together.

“What you saw is what you got with Mark,” Eichhorn said.

After living in Carman for a year, he said he and Mark moved into a house on Third St.

Eichhorn, who has since transferred to the Concordia University in Chicago, said Mark was the one who made living in the house possible. Mark paid for the rent that was supposed to be covered by a third student who was going to live with them but was unable to, Eichhorn said.

He said Mark was often free with his money around his friends and would usually cover the cost of pizza and other items he and his friends enjoyed.

One such instance with Eichhorn exemplified this trait.

Eichhorn said when he was having a bit of a gambling problem and owed someone $500 Mark did not even hesitate to loan him the money.

“Mark was one of a kind,” he said.

“A fun person”

As Schwartz helped out his roommates when they were in need, so too did he help his neighbors.

Carrie Hagemann, a senior physical education major, was Schwartz’s neighbor when he lived on Third St. during which time she said she saw him practically every day.

As with Cozzens and Eichhorn, Hagemann said Mark’s generous and humorous personality stood out.

“He was just a fun person who loved to have fun,” she said.

Hagemann said the funniest part about Mark was his ability to laugh at himself.

Hagemann said Mark had a self-deprecating sense of humor with which he would often make himself the butt of jokes and was always the first one to laugh at himself.

Hagemann said Mark would often showcase this humor during parties they would frequently attend together.

One such example was when Hagemann and Mark were together at a party and they were playing the game “Catch Phrase” with some other friends.

Hagemann said Mark was given the game console but failed to press the button necessary to change the word he had to describe. Mark failed to notice this and proceeded to describe the word again to the amusement of the rest of the party.

Hagemann said once Mark realized what had happened he started laughing with the rest of them without a hint of embarrassment.

Along with this self-effacing sense of humor, Mark was also known for saying random things that others might not wish to say for fear of embarrassment.

Hagemann said these comments would usually arouse choruses of laughter and would usually “put everybody on the floor” laughing.

She also said Mark was generous with his time when he was her neighbor.

Hagemann said Mark would often come over to her house to check-up on her and her roommates to see if they were okay and if they needed anything.

Mark did not limit his friends to those people his age as show by his friendship with Stefani Ghan.

Though Mark was one year ahead of her in high school, Ghan said treated her like any other friend and was always there to help her.

When she came to Eastern she said Mark continued to act this way and helped her adjust to her new college life. Ghan said Mark helped her and her friends get acquainted with Eastern and made her feel included with the rest of the campus.

Ghan, a junior psychology major, said this selflessness was one of Mark’s most endearing qualities.

“He always seemed like he was more interested in other peoples’ lives than he was in his own,” she said.

“Friendly greetings”

Mark’s friends were not the only ones who have mourned his death.

Ann Fritz, associate professor of biology, had Mark in two of her classes two years ago and said she will miss the pleasant greetings they exchanged with each as they passed in the hallways of the Life Science Building.

Fritz is not the only biology professor who will miss Mark.

Janice Coons, professor of biology, said while Schwartz did not necessarily stand out academically in the plant physiology class she taught in 2007 he was always polite and considerate in class.

She said Schwartz was a student who would not let concerns about class go unanswered. She said he would often come to her office to discuss any problems he had about class.

Coons said taking the plant physiology class, which is not a required class for biological science students, showed Schwartz had some interest in botany.

Though she did not know Schwartz very well, Coons said his death was tragic and a great loss for the school.

“It certainly leaves an emptiness knowing he’s gone,” she said.

Memories can be shared at the Facebook group: We Will Never Forget Mark E. Schwartz

No official university representative was sent to the funeral due to bad weather conditions, said Dan Nadler, vice president for student affairs.

Nadler said no memorial on campus was currently planned.

Jordan Crook can be reached at 581-7942 or at jscrook@eiu.edu.

The funeral for Mark Schwartz was held on Wednesday. Schwartz was remembered by friends as generous and funny. Students have been sharing memories of Schwartz on his Facebook profile. (From www.facebook.com)

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