Mr. PAUL PAISACH SCHWARTZ

FORT WORTH -- Paul P. Schwartz, a World War II navigator, mechanical engineer, avid bridge player, devotee of the Fort Worth Symphony, and leader in the local Jewish community, passed away at his home on Saturday, Sept. 19, 2015. Mr. Schwartz was 94. Service: 11 a.m. Monday in the sanctuary at Beth-El Congregation, 4900 Briarhaven Road. Following committal prayers, he will be laid to rest next to his wife, Margot, in the Beth-El Section of Greenwood Memorial Park. Minyan service will be held at the Temple, beginning at 5:30 p.m. Monday. Memorials: In lieu of flowers, consideration of contributions to Beth-El Congregation, Meals on Wheels or any organization that has a place in your heart, in his memory, is suggested. Born in Vitznitz, Romania, on Nov. 24, 1920, Paul was the only child of Ben and Betty Schwartz who immigrated to New York City in 1928. As a 7-year-old, Paul picked up English on the street and by helping at the family candy store and newsstand above a subway stop in the Bronx. Paul graduated from the city's Stuyvesant High in 1938 and attended City College of New York until his induction into the Air Force in October 1941. The Air Force sent him to San Marcos, Texas, for navigator training followed by duty as a photo navigator in Brazil. At a dance for soldiers hosted by the Jewish Welfare Board in Austin, Paul met the love of his life, Margot Rosenthal, a recent immigrant from Cologne, Germany. The couple wed April 3, 1944, and were happily married for 64 years, sharing a fondness for music and the arts until her death in December 2006. Upon Paul's discharge from the military in 1945, he remained in Austin, enrolled at the University of Texas and graduated in 1948 with a degree in mechanical engineering. He went to work for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Galveston District. In 1950, the Corps transferred him to Fort Worth where he was involved in the development of almost all the area's dams. He was instrumental in designing the locks for the Arkansas River, NASA's Manned Spacecraft Center in Houston, several major hospitals and a variety of military construction projects. From 1972 until his 1979 retirement, Paul was chief of the Corps' Fort Worth District Design Branch. After retiring from federal service, he became a consultant for the Lawrence D. White architectural firm until 1984. Soft-spoken, analytical and collegial, throughout his career Paul often spent his lunch hour playing bridge, holding a sandwich in one hand and cards in the other. Well-liked and respected within his profession, Paul served as chairman of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers from 1958-1959 and president of the Society of Professional Engineers in 1967. The Texas Society of Professional Engineers named him Engineer of the Year in 1977. Paul was active at Beth-El Congregation, where he served as Brotherhood president in 1958-59 and Temple president from 1973-75. He capped his presidency by awarding "amnesty" to congregants with overdue library books. For decades, he was Beth-El's official photographer, taking photos of consecration and confirmation classes, developing the film in a darkroom at his home, and making prints for each student. When Paul turned 83, he marked the milestone by having a second bar mitzvah before a full house of friends and family at Beth-El. An amateur musician, Paul played the organ and harmonica and developed a taste for digital music. During the formative years of the Fort Worth Symphony and the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, he and his wife were involved at the grassroots level. The couple were longtime season subscribers. A special thank-you goes to his caregivers, Kim Webber, Beverly Stubbs, Curtis Gunter; all of Klarus Home Care along with their wonderful caring staff; Paul's home caregivers, Angie Jackson, Ken Orr and Etta Kennard; and to Covenant Hospice for their help in the final hours. Survivors: In addition to his son, Richard Schwartz, daughter, Faye Slater, and son-in-law, Gary Slater, of Fort Worth, Paul is survived by two granddaughters and their husbands, Melissa and Jonathan Rubenstein of Dallas and Heather and Eric Grosman of Costa Rica; great-grandchildren, Benjamin Schwartz, Melanie Schwartz, Jeffrey Rubenstein and Claire Rubenstein; his extended family includes Kayla Slater, Kyle Slater, his wife, Noelle, and their daughter, Daphne, all of Fort Worth; brother-in-law, Alfred Rosenthal of Maryland; nephew, Les Rosenthal and his wife, Debbie, of Fort Worth; nieces and their husbands, Emily and Marc Lurie of Maryland and Harriett and Chuck Saxe of Oregon; and numerous great-nieces and great-nephews. To send flowers or a memorial gift to the family of Mr. PAUL PAISACH SCHWARTZ please visit our Sympathy Store.