In Memory

James Brock Schwantes

James Brock Schwantes

Schwantes, James Brock

b. 10/19/1954  Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI 

d. 09/15/1994  Seattle, King Co., Washington

parents: Wilbert Harvey(1923-1997) and mother, Loretta Lafern (nee Delaney) Schwantes

survived by his mother, 2 sisters and 1 brother

--info from ancestry.com--

 

James Brock SCHWANTES  

October 19, 1954 - September 15, 1994

"One of the sweetest and most childlike of men left us on Thursday, Sept 15, after a long battle with AIDS.  He never doubted that there is another life after this one.  He's enjoying the love, companionship, and happiness, now, in God's arms that he craved so much while here on earth.

When he moved into Bailey Boushay House last February, he decided to call himself by his middle name, 'Brock'.  Many people who grew close to him this past year know him by that name, while those of us who have known him longer still called him 'Jim'.

Jim/Brock was born in and grew up in Milwaukee, WI  moving to Santa Barbara, CA after high school.  After one year of college there, he joined the Navy and told wonderful stories of his years in training in Washington D.C. as well as his experiences in Alaska. 

At the end of his Navy career, Jim/Brock was stationed at Sand Point and helped produce the newspaper for Navy personnel there.  He stayed in Seattle from then on.  His first major career was servicing photolab equipment for CX, and in that job he did a lot of traveling around the country.  He often talked about his trips back home to Milwaukee and Chicago and talked about the contacts he established with his family there. 

His second career was as an electronic technician, at first, in several temporary positions, and finally at Avtech Corporation in Wallingford (northern Seattle).  Jim/Brock loved to work and could concentrate, amazingly, on every detail of improving his skills to make himself more effective at his job.  He made several good friends at Avtech, and the company was very supportive of him when he became ill.

For those who would like to share their memories of and feelings for Jim/Brock, his family and friends will be meeting at the Seattle AIDS Support Group house on Capitol Hill in Seattle at 1:00pm this Sunday Sept 25th.  The address is 303 17th Avenue East, on the corner of John, one block from Group Health Hospital."

--published in Seattle Post Intelligencer, Sept 22, 1994, Pg B4--

 

(Schwantes,   b. 10/19/1954)



 
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11/26/11 11:00 PM #1    

Karen D. Bauer (Freimuth)

In memory of a really nice, kind, bright, good looking boy. This "in memoriam list" was not where i'd ever figured your name would be.  We met in the bookstore line, 9th grade, Edison Jr. High. Our first date was to the Performing Arts Center to hear classical guitar music--wow, i felt so elegant, sitting there alongside you, Jim.  I still mix various beverages together, like 7UP and berry juice and can make a spectacular chocolate malt, even a spiked one.  But the milk-and-grapefruit mix is yours to master in Heaven - ackkk - i know it was supposed to taste like a dreamsicle but...it didn't, and got curds.  I hope you managed to accomplish a few of those dreams you had during your much-too-short life.  Although we both needed to move on and date others, we had some great times together.  


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