Friends and colleagues of deceased ASU English instructor Debra Schwartz are carrying on her memory by bringing the same commitment to the community she exemplified through her life.
Schwartz, 59, was found dead in a northern Arizona canyon on May 8 after being reported missing the week before. Her time at ASU was characterized by a passion for improving not only her work, but the lives of those who came into contact with her, English Department Chair and Professor Mark Lussier said.
Lussier said he was in awe of the way Schwartz approached her work — a commitment to being the best she could possibly be.
“She was committed to getting better and better and better,” Lussier said. “I think she felt that way not just about her teaching, but her life. Who can’t admire that?”
Lussier said Schwartz was teaching four courses during the spring semester — a busy workload. Schwartz often went camping and hiking to decompress from a busy semester, Lussier said.
“We both share that sense of moving out into nature as a way of recharging,” he said. “We also shared a tendency to do a lot of that alone.”
Those close to Schwartz knew her not just for her work in the classroom, but also for her charity work.
In 2010, Schwartz met a man by the name of Franklin Evans while volunteering for Career Connectors, developing resumes for individuals who had been affected by the recent economic downturn.
Evans echoed Lussier’s sentiments and said Schwartz often did things on her own that most people would want to do with others.
“She was not afraid to do things on her own,” Evans said. “If she wanted to do something, she would do it.”
Evans and Schwartz would both go on to work at Justa Center, a non-profit designed to help homeless seniors in the Phoenix area. Evans is now the center’s director of operations.
They developed a close friendship after working with one another, which allowed Evans to gain deep insights into the ways Schwartz operated and influenced those around her.
It was possible to see rough edges on Schwartz — her background in journalism gave her an ability to see beyond the superficial, which Evans said had the potential to be taken the wrong way.
“She knew how to ask very pointed questions,” he said. “(But) If you spent the time to get to know her, you would embrace those rough edges.”
Schwartz also taught writing workshops at Changing Hands Bookstore. Community Events Manager Pinna Joseph said she enjoyed working with Schwartz and was extremely disheartened to hear the news of her death.
Joseph was shocked when she learned of Schwartz’s death, because she did not hear about it from anyone she knew.
“I didn’t hear about it first, I saw her face on the news,” Joseph said.
She was immediately concerned about the uncertainty of what caused Schwartz's death and looks forward to the closure that will come with an official result.
Authorities are still working to determine the cause of death, according to a press release from the Coconino County Sheriff's Office. The sheriff's office dispatched a wide array of resources in searching for Schwartz, with help from the Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office, Arizona Department of Public Safety and the ASU Police Department.
Schwartz primarily taught workshops for humorous writing at Changing Hands, and epitomized her humor through giving the seminars tongue-in-cheek titles, such as “A Liar’s Workshop,” Joseph said.
Teaching at ASU, Changing Hands and working at the Justa Center allowed Schwartz to give to the community. Seeing members of the community grow was all the reward she needed, Joseph said.
“No matter what size group, she always got so much out of it,” she said.
Schwartz worked and volunteered through several outlets, but she was able to bring the same quality of work to everything she did, Evans said.
“Debbie is a passionate person at whatever she’s doing,” he said. “Her passion was contagious.”
Although the tragedy weighs on those who were close to Schwartz, Evans said there is some peace in knowing her final moments were spent doing something she loved.
“She went doing what she loves doing, and that’s being out in nature,” he said. “Her spunk and her spirit will be missed."
Reach the reporter at jwbowlin@asu.edu or follow @mrjoshuabowling on Twitter.
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