Steven Eric Schwartz

Born in Sheepshead Bay Brooklyn 11/27/56
Middle child of Erwin and Joan. Younger brother to Tedd and older brother to Gary(myself)
We were a Middle Class Jews from Brooklyn
Lived in apt
Enjoyed outdoors, camping, sailing

Steve was always different, he didn’t seem to fit in in the typical sense he did not like sports
He was more interested in science.
He enjoyed popular mechanics and science magazines.

Steven skipped a grade and was extremely intelligent academically and in a worldly sense.
He won the NYC science fair 1968
Froze a gold fish using liquid nitrogen
And brought it back to life ( for few seconds)
But was disqualified later as the judges felt it was a bit gruesome and for using a live animal

He went to Brooklyn college and in 1972
He marched on Washington to impeach Nixon as he was very much against the war in Vietnam. he was a inspired by the works of Dylan and later Springsteen )

At age 16 he hitchhiked across US. I remember letting him with off my with my dad at GWB route 80 with a sign” California “ go west young man “”“Horace Greeley once said

Steven wound up in SB, a place he call home for the rest of his life.

He returned to NY that fall told my dad he was transferring to UCSB, where he eventually graduated with a degree in environmental science.

Steven never for worked “the man” as he would say something he was proud of.

He had a variety of jobs out in SB over the years
He managed property Anapamu house for 47 yrs
(First sleeping in a sleeping bag in the shed )

He owned a successful back hoe contracting business

He was able to buy house with the help of my mom Joan Basson which we dubbed the Basson house on Bath st

He started a successful car business known as “Mustang Dreams ”
Locating classic muscle cars all over the west coast and sending them to Europe

He was a simple guy to say the least
A minimalist before his time

He loved a few things
1st Suzanne who he called “small unit “
The Love of his life he would say

Next was Burning man and all it embraced
He lived by the ten principles all of his life
Amongst the Burners he finally felt he fit it
It just seem to make sense to him

He is survived by me his brother Gary
His niece and nephews Eric, Danielle and Zachary Schwartz
Suzanne Cuddy, significant other