The Choices of Robert A.D.

Schwartz
Remembering the Heights of an Oakland Giant

A life is the sum of one’s choices, or so the saying goes. Some choose to squander the one and
only they’ve been given. Others cower at the prospect of living life to its fullest. Rarer are those
who embrace the opportunity to fill each day with a bold purpose and determination that gives
their life meaning. In honoring his wholehearted pursuit of the latter – in the persistent and
unabashed manner he did – the family, friends, and
colleagues of Robert (Bob) A.D. Schwartz gathered in the
Oakland hills on a recent spring day to pay homage to his life
and legacy.

From the podium, those who knew him best revealed, in no

uncertain terms, an enduring love and respect for Bob, and
insights into what made him tick – what made him remarkable
in life and in business.

“Bob Schwartz is inextricably linked with my love for Oakland

and to my understanding of the word ‘citizenship,’” said
Mayor Libby Schaaf. “I cannot tell you what it’s like to have Robert A.D. Schwartz
1925-2017
inspirational people around you who don’t just live in a city, but
believe in it and invest themselves in making it comport with a vision of justice, of compassion.
That’s who Bob Schwartz was every single second of his life.”

In the end, Bob was a product of every choice he made over the course of his 92 years walking
this earth – walking the corridors of Oakland.

Bob chose education – first his own, then the next generations’. A World War II veteran who
worked his way to a BS degree from MIT, Masters of Business, and JD, Bob became a member
of the California State Bar in the mid-70’s before making a pivot from law to business.

The value he placed on education and lifelong learning would later drive his formation of
Peer Tutoring Institute, a long-running Oakland nonprofit, instrumental in advancing the
education of disadvantaged OUSD students. “Bob fought racial inequality and believed
strongly in education as a means of combatting poverty and injustice,” recalled Phil Bruno,
CEO of Key Source International. “History and learning from the past was something he
never stopped talking about.”
Of Bob, granddaughter Jung Hee Schwartz, said, “Throughout my childhood and into my
adulthood, my grandfather supported my musical endeavors and musical growth. He gave
me the gift of music and shaped my values and identity. When I think of my grandfather, the
first word I associate is ‘integrity.’ The innate sense of right from wrong and the ability to
adhere to those values is something I think all of us can aspire to achieve.”

Grandson Charlie Schwartz concurred. “He lived his words. Robert A.D. Schwartz
encouraged progress with kindness and with heart. From him I learned it’s never too late to
get involved and make a difference.”

Bob chose business leadership. Long before his company, Key Source International, was
recognized by American Hospital Association for developing lifesaving patient care technology,
Bob had already made his mark as Oakland business leader. Michael Dalby of East Bay
Community Foundation said, “Bob believed, not merely, but passionately, in the idea of equality
and the practical opportunities that enlightened entrepreneurship can bring to cities, so
passionately that he founded his
companies, in large part, to do just that.”

Beginning in the 1950’s and over the

next several decades, Bob chose
Oakland to found United Plastics, United
Lighting & Ceiling, Schwartz & Lindheim
Electrical, B&M Tool and Die, Litrex
Corporation, and Key Source
International that today manufactures
healthcare keyboards in Oakland’s
Airport Business Park.

“He really and truly was a driving force,”

said Mr. Bruno, “a force of nature with
Mayor Libby Schaaf spoke of the friendship she shared with
Mr. Schwartz and his insatiable thirst for bringing about change. boundless energy and a cornucopia of
ideas. I remember many times saying
goodnight to Bob after working with him for an exhausting ten hours, realizing full well that his
second shift was about to begin. Community activities and commitment to what mattered in
Oakland were calling him."
Bob chose people and ideas. The varied business pursuits in which he engaged would have
been too much for most. Not for Bob. Beyond business ownership and family, serving his
community is where he really shone – seeing a need and filling it, perceiving an injustice and
trying to correct it. The many nonprofits he formed were each geared toward achieving a singular
result – helping people in Oakland. With Oakland Commerce Corporation, he sought to retain
and attract business here. His formation of Peer Tutoring Institute furthered the education of our
youth. Through his leadership, Urban Strategies Council and East Bay Community Foundation
helped improve conditions in Oakland’s low-income neighborhoods. In serving his community,
Bob’s encouragement of others to do the same had an exponential effect.

“Bob connected people, ideas, and commerce,” recalled Mr. Bruno. “He was linked in before
LinkedIn. He was Facebook before there was a Facebook. He fought for a better Oakland
through his networking, bridge-building, and his form of social media – caring.”

Bob chose philanthropy. His establishment of the Schwartz Foundation in 1979 to this day
continues to have a positive impact on the lives of Bay Area residents through its financial
support of local vocational, musical and citizenship educational programs. In addition to its
contributions to UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital, the Foundation has left an indelible imprint
on Oakland arts as a major supporter of Oakland Symphony Youth Orchestra.

Maestro Michael Morgan credited Bob

William Patterson, Vice President of the Board EBMUD, and Urban
Strategies Council board member, addresses the family and associates
of Robert A.D Schwartz at Sequoyah Country Club.
with the rebirth of the Oakland
Symphony. “He absolutely would not
have this city be without a symphony.
Every kid who studies music, whether
they know it or not, has Bob Schwartz to
thank because he was behind so many
of the great initiatives that taught so
many kids at so many levels, and
continue to do so. Most of them don’t
know his name, don’t know who he is,
but they really are his legacy.”

Bob chose music as a means of helping others. Nearly 60 years after founding a jazz
orchestra at MIT, Bob again tapped into his love of music as a means of personal therapy. In
his usual style, even as he approached his nineties, he viewed what might have been a lonely
pursuit instead as an opportunity to bring others along on his therapeutic journey. With Bob
as its leader and tenor saxophonist, The Therapists jazz band was born – with a regular
touring schedule that brought “Comeback Jazz” into area nursing homes and assisted living
centers. Transformative experiences for Bob in his final years, Therapist live performances
brought memories from the past back to many local elder folk who got up from their
wheelchairs and onto the dancefloor. Said neighbor and Therapists piano player Elias
Negas, “Bob said, ‘The therapy is for me, but I’m sharing it with you all.’”

Bob chose life. True to his nature in the years, months and weeks before his death, Bob
refused to wither and take the easy road of living life through the rearview mirror. As Mr. Dalby
recalled, “He was himself, he was his passions, and he was so completely in his
circumstances.” Though his body had slowed, Bob’s mind remained lawyer sharp. He was a
regular in his corner office at Key Source International, where his word still rang out as gospel.
With the latest iPad resting in its docking station, he held court with local movers and shakers
beneath a black and white snapshot of a much younger Bob with then first-term Governor
Brown, for whom he served as Northern California Chairman of the Democratic Party in the
‘70s. He continued to participate in the decisions of business at his company and numerous
nonprofit endeavors. He made plans to expand the reach of The Therapists’ musical legacy.
He shared, half-jokingly, or not, the prospect of implementing his next ten-year plan. To the
very end, Bob remained relevant to all things business, all things helping his community, all
things Oakland.

“When he was named Oakland’s Citizen of the Year in 1996, and I learned of the full extent of
his résumé and accomplishments,” said a reflective Mayor Schaaf, “I really knew that we had
in our midst Oakland’s Renaissance Man.”

In this fact, we can all celebrate – for the choices made by Robert A.D. Schwartz to make our city
a better place will never be forgotten.

Key Source International is a long-time member of the Oakland Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce