Leon Schwartz Leon Schwartz, a Newport Beach...

Leon Schwartz

Leon Schwartz, a Newport Beach resident, vice chancellor emeritus

of UC Irvine and a past executive director of UCI Medical Center,

died April 1 after a long battle with prostate cancer. He was 74.

Mr. Schwartz joined UC Irvine as vice chancellor of Administrative

and Business Services in 1979 after working with NASA, the National

Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health.

In that position, he was responsible for all nonacademic

activities ranging from budgets and building construction to security

and parking. Between 1985 and 1988, Mr. Schwartz served as the

executive director of UCI Medical Center.

Among his major accomplishments is his role in creating University

Hills, UCI’s faculty housing program. He also served as president of

the Irvine Campus Housing Authority for eight years.

Martin Brower, a friend, said Mr. Schwartz was “very proud of his

work at UCI.”

“He would often give people tours of the buildings in the

university,” Brower said. “He was also a mentor to so many people who

say they’ve learned a lot from him.”

Mr. Schwartz is survived by wife of 49 years Joan; sons Howard and

Richard; and grandchildren Penina, Bryanna and Kelsey.

A memorial service is planned later this month on campus, Brower

said. For more information, call Wendell Brase, vice chancellor of

Administrative and Business Services, at (949) 824-5011.