Local businessman Shepard Schwartz died peacefully on Sunday, March 5, at his home in Deep River with his beloved wife, Heather, at his side. Known as “Shep” to his friends and loved ones, he lived a dynamic, multifaceted life that began and ended in his home state of Connecticut. He was born in New Haven on November 6, 1928, the third child of Charles and Mae Schwartz, was raised in West Hartford and graduated from Hall High School. After serving overseas in the Korean War, Shep attended the University of Connecticut, where he graduated in 1952. Shep was a remarkable man who had a boundless love of life, family, and friends. He raised three children from a prior marriage in West Hartford while founding and running his successful businesses. In 1981, he married Heather (Goldstein) Malk, who relocated to West Hartford along with her three children, and the couple happily spent the rest of their lives together. Shep possessed an unflappable energy and somehow managed to pack enough business pursuits, adventures. and experiences in his life to have filled five lifetimes. He founded Shepard Steel Company in 1955, which today remains one of the largest steel fabricators in New England. Along the way, he also developed commercial real estate in the Greater Hartford area, created a flight school at Brainard Field in Hartford, started Front Street restaurant in Provincetown, MA (which to this day is still one of the finer restaurants in town), began a commercial fishing business on Cape Cod (complete with fishing vessels he had custom built in the bayous of Louisiana), and established a mariculture operation to grow clams in the waters of his beloved P’town. The common thread through all these endeavors? They came from things Shep loved to do, with people he loved to be with, punctuated by a generosity of spirit as large as he was. Shep was an accomplished pilot who routinely flew his Cessna six-seater to P’town, Florida, and the Bahamas. He was an avid boater and fisherman who spent summers fishing for Stripers off Long Island and Giant Bluefin Tuna on Cape Cod. Shep loved fine dining and food, routinely entertaining customers and friends from here and abroad at Front Street. His holiday tradition of giving oysters and clams from Wellfleet to his friends became legendary and this past December alone, more than 4,000 mollusks found their way into the grateful hands of the people on his list. As recently as two weeks ago, he was already planning December 2023’s haul. Shep leaves behind a large, extended family who basked in the glow of his warmth, generosity and love. He was married to his beloved and devoted Heathy for 42 years, and the pair created a rich life filled with friends and experiences that literally spanned the globe. He leaves six children: Charles Schwartz and wife Dr. Ronni Stein of West Hartford; Leonard Schwartz and wife Donatella Linari of Bela Bela, South Africa; Amy and husband Norman Young of Hartford; Shane Malk of Stonington; Samantha and husband David Barney of London, England; and Candice and husband Howard Wolk of Boston. Shep also leaves 11 grandchildren: Caroline Schwartz, Alexander Schwartz and spouse Ally Weiss, Max Young, Jackson Young, Leila Malk, Gigi Malk, Liv Malk, Addison Wolk, Berkeley Wolk, William Barney and Edward Barney; a great-grandson, Atlas Schwartz; and his cherished dog, Bruzer. A memorial service will be held at Weinstein Mortuary in Hartford on Wednesday, March 8, at 2:00 PM. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to a charity of your choice. Prayers will be held at 6:30 PM on March 8 at the home he loved on the Connecticut River, 323 River Road, Deep River.
