Thomas Leonard Schwesinger

Thomas Leonard Schwesinger gave up his battle with a heart infection and expired on Saturday, December 12, 2009. He was born in Cleveland on March 21, 1929, the year of ?Black Tuesday? stock market crash and the year that Lou Gehrig batted three consecutive homeruns for the Yankees to win against the Tiger. It was the year that Influenza A killed 200,000 people and that ?Popeye?, the ?Yoyo? and Oscar Award were created. Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis and Audrey Hepburn were born in the same year; two of the three women Thomas touted as true ladies. Thomas was born to the late Paul and Agnes Schwesinger of Lyndhurst, Ohio. He was the elder brother of Barbara Risso and the late Paul ?Gary? Schwesinger of Akron, Ohio. After graduating from Cleveland Heights High and Ohio University, Thomas served in the Army for four years. On Christmas night in 1951, he married, the other woman he regarded as a true lady, the late Joanne (Wright) Schwesinger who left this world January 9, 2008. Thomas and Joanne are survived by two daughters: Tamara Kerr of East Springfield, PA and Sally Podrasky of Waite Hill, OH. Also surviving them are three grandsons, one granddaughter and a great granddaughter who are, respectively: Samuel and Benjamin Meadema, Oliver Kerr, Joanna Podrasky and Tatum Meadema. Surviving cousins and second cousins to Thomas that reside in Cleveland, Ohio are: Mimi Oblak , Janice (Baraga) Stuchin, Kenneth Merhar and Joyce, Robert and James Chukayne. Out-of-state cousins to survive him are James Merhar of Pennsylvania and Kenneth Baraga of Florida. Thomas ascribed his success to the stern advice given to him as a young man by Frederick Crawford, president of Thompson Products (later TRW) and the benefactor to Western Reserve Historical Society of the largest single collection of antique automobiles. Some of Crawford?s advice, is in a verse that Thomas chose for his memorial service. Mr. Crawford must have also instilled the love of automobiles in Thomas for he acquired many of these over his 80-year life; intrigued most of all by innovations in automobiles. He was the first citizen in the Geneva area to have a hybrid car and he was an ardent fan and sponsor of a hydrogen fuel cell to power automobiles. Thomas owned three NAPA stores; his first acquired in Geneva and, later, one in Jefferson and Andover. He retired in 1994 and sold all the stores. His Geneva store was discovered to be the birthplace of Ransom E. Olds, the first mass producer of gasoline engine cars. In 2000, Mr. Schwesinger memorialized Olds? birthplace with an Ohio Historical Marker and arranged to have some of the earliest Olds? vehicles transported to Geneva for the communities viewing from the R.E. Olds Transportation Museum in Lansing, Michigan. His community involvement extended beyond the Olds history. In 1994, he was awarded the ?Citizen of the Year? by the Geneva Area Chamber of Commerce for his active effort to restore downtown Geneva. He donated the beautiful bronze clock at the downtown intersection to spur such restoration. In 1995, Thomas was recognized for his continued efforts to beautify the town by the Miller Foundation when he was instrumental in procuring and planting trees down South Broadway in Geneva. In 2001, Mr. Schwesinger was honored by Kiwanis International for the time and generosity given to Geneva as he worked hard to revitalize the town?s economy and structures. He worked hard to bring both new businesses to the community and home ownership to citizens. He was a benefactor to the Geneva Food Pantry, annual bicycle giveaway, student-built solar cars at the Winston School in Texas and in later years, to specific individuals who were starting their own businesses. As a long time member of the Geneva zoning committee and then planning commission, Mr. Schwesinger supported measures that would provide his fellow citizens with a community that they could work and take pride in. He leaves his dream to build a community center that meet the needs of citizens across all ages to those as loyal and active in Geneva as he had been. He was a member and prior trustee of St. John?s Lutheran Church in Geneva and a founding benefactor of its sister church, Beautiful Savior in Saybrook. Both the town and church communities regret the loss of his visions and philanthropy. His family expresses deep gratitude to the physicians, nurses and other staff of University Hospitals in Geneva for their attentive care to Mr. Schwesinger and for all the courtesies and consideration given them during the vigil at his bedside. A funeral service will be held at 11 am, Saturday, December 19th with a lunch to follow at St. John?s Lutheran Church, 811 South Broadway, Geneva, Ohio. A viewing will be held one hour prior to the service at the church and also, on Friday, December 18th , 4pm-6pm at The Behm Family Funeral Home & Crematory, 175 South Broadway, Geneva, Ohio.