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Age:
50
Place of Residence:
West Hemptstead, NY
Location on 9/11:
WTC
Biography:

Mark Schwartz was born on March 15, 1951 in Brooklyn, New York to Gertrude and Albert Schwartz. He spent his life growing up in Brooklyn, graduating from Lafayette High School. Along with his parents, he shared his home in Bensonhurst with his brother Harvey and his two sisters, Nancy and Mindy.

After attending community college, he decided he needed to find a change and moved up to the Catskills. He landed a job at the Stevensville Hotel in Swan Lake as the athletic director. It was at the Stevensville that he met his wife, Patti in August of 1977. After only a week of being together endlessly, it was obvious that the two would be together forever and they were married on September 19th, 1978.

Mark moved back downstate. Patti and Mark started their life together in an apartment in Rosedale. They remained in this apartment for two years and moved to a bigger apartment also in Rosedale, where they raised their two children. Jennifer was born December 22, 1978 and Andrew on July 22, 1981.

It was in Rosedale, that Mark’s career as an Emergency Medical Technician began. Mark took the EMT course, passed and began volunteering for the Rosedale Volunteer Ambulance Corps. Mark had finally found his passion and decided this was what he was supposed to do - help others.

Mark started working for Hunter Ambulance in Inwood in 1988 as an EMT. With the help, guidance and support of his employer, Larry Liebowitz, Mark worked himself up to Assistant Vice President. When Larry passed away, Mark was devastated. Besides being an employer, Mark lost a mentor and a very good friend. Mark continued his dedication to Hunter Ambulance. Hunter became Mark’s first priority, sometimes skipping family functions, being called back to Inwood after just arriving at home or being woken up in the middle of the night if he was needed . Hunter became Mark’s second family. Mark was a people person - always with a joke or willing to lend a ear. At Hunter, he met endless people. Even thou Mark liked his desk position, his first love was the actual helping of people, so on the weekends he still did shifts on the ambulance.

Because of all the time Mark spent at work, he would save his weekend pay for the families yearly vacation. He loved his vacations. It probably was the only time that his beeper and cell phone were left at home. All year he would plan, save and dream about the week he would spend with his family at some far away place.

In 1989, Mark and his family moved from Rosedale to Valley Stream.

Even thou, Mark gave Hunter 110%, he somehow was able to give his children 120%. Mark’s children were his pride and joy. He never missed a school play, concert or any event that included his children. He talked about them endlessly to friends and co-workers. He tried very hard to make whatever time he spent with them worthwhile.

Whatever time Mark had left, he saved for Patti. Sometimes after working an overnight shift, he would come home sleep for an hour or two and then go out to breakfast and maybe spend the day going to antique fairs. Or maybe he would spend the time at home because his home was his dream and his castle. After 22 years of renting, Patti and Mark were able to buy their first home in West Hempstead. It was their dream come true and it was made possible by Mark’s hard work and devotion to his wife and children.

Mark and Patti would have been married 25 year on September 19th. But because of his need to help and put that ahead of anything else, Mark missed that day. Mark will also miss Jennifer graduating with honors from Ade1phi University with her master’s in elementary education, or wishing her luck at her first teaching job in September, or giving her away at her wedding. He’ll also miss Andrew graduating Catholic Medical Center with a certification as a paramedic, or their little talks about the field that both of them shared and loved. He’ll miss growing old with Patti and becoming a grandfather. He’ll miss the unconditional love of his dogs Lexi & Jake or the kisses from his cat, Barney.

Whoever Mark met, he left some sort of impression. For some he became their friend, for others he gave them his shoulder to lean on or his arms for a hug. People describe him as a teddy bear.

For all of you that knew Mark, don’t ever forget him. Even thou he is not with us anymore, your memories and thoughts about him will make him live on forever.

For all of you that never met him, that’s too bad. I know you would have liked him! Maybe, next time around.