Richard "Dick" Schwedler

Richard (Dick) Schwedler, 81, a member and resident of Cinnamon Way since 1995, sadly passed away on September 5 th , 2022. Dick was born to the late George Martin Schwedler and Genevieve Lipinski-Schwedler on June 16 th , 1941 in Newark NJ. Dick is survived by his loving wife, Debra, son, David Schwedler and daughter, Beth Siepmann Schwedler and his first wife, Judith Schwedler. His immediate family includes many nieces and nephews.

He grew up in Clifton, NJ and his first job was at the Clifton Post Office, as a mail carrier. He was told he was doing his route "too fast and to slow down as no one does it that fast." Not surprising! He attended Rutgers University in New Brunswick, NJ and then moved to Massachusetts in the 60's to take some computer classes. After one year, they wanted him to teach the class! Dick felt he needed more experience, so he passed on the teaching position and instead took a job with big retail giant, Conrad and Chandler. He was offered $60/week, but he didn't care.

He was more interested in seeing what he could accomplish. Conrad and Chandler had contracted with IBM for a main frame computer, but it fell far short of expectations. In three months time, Dick entirely rewrote the software, getting the company back on track and running smoothly. The company ended up suing IBM, and Dick was no longer getting paid only $60/week, as you may have figured out. He started his own computer company in Andover, Massachusetts called LHS Associates. His company did computer services for over 300 cites and towns throughout Massachusetts. He started a profit- sharing program for his employees. At first, they were not very happy about it, but over time they learned to appreciate the value since they are all now millionaires in their own right. A good lesson learned. The business is still successful to this date.

Dick wanted to retire early as his dad had passed after only a few years into his retirement. So, at age 50,he sold the company to a friend and set his sights on warmer weather in Florida. Dick and Debe discovered a beautiful community called Harbour Ridge where they have lived since 1995. He dutifully served on the Board of Directors and several other committees at Harbour Ridge. His insights and enthusiasm for the club were invaluable.

He was an avid golfer, winning three US Senior Golf Championships. With his great friend, Mike Spinelli, he ran a golf group at Harbour Ridge with over 80 men. To help out the group, he wrote a program and printed all the scorecards three days a week. This kept his mind sharp, and he had a blast doing it. He loved playing golf with his beloved wife Debe. Together they set out to play golf in every state in the US. It only took nine years for them to complete that adventure. Along the way, they won several Husband-and-Wife Championships. They even won separate Club Championships on the very same day at Palm Aire in Pompano, Florida. During many wonderful years on the links, he managed to get a few "holes in one," which he proudly displayed with plaques on his office wall. Dick was an astute businessman, but his wry sense of humor was his real forte. His passion was his great wife, Debe. Golf came in a close second. His retired business cards attested to that in capital letters: WE PLAY GOLF!

Family will receive friends at Forest Hills Funeral Home. 2001 SW Murphy Road, Palm City, FL, 34990, Tuesday, September 27th between the hours of: 2-5pm. Deacon Angel Rivera will be there to have a service at 4pm on the 27th .
In lieu of flowers, please donate to the IPF Foundation https://ipffoundation.org to try to find a cure for this terrible disease.

Our thoughts and prayers are with Schwedler family during this time.