John W. Schweitzer

John W. Schweitzer

Iowa City

John W. Schweitzer passed away on Thursday, Sept. 28, 2023, at The Bird House Hospice Home in Iowa City, Iowa, after a long battle with cancer. He was born on April 23, 1941, in Covington, Ky., to the late Frank M. and Anna Schumacher Schweitzer.

John is survived by his sister-in-law, Mary J. Huesman Schweitzer; nephew, Michael Schweitzer (Natalie Ottobrino); niece, Susan (Michael) Phillips; and great-nieces, Megan and Corinne Phillips.

He was preceded in death by his parents and his brother, Frank B. Schweitzer.

John went to Covington Latin School. He received his B.A. in physics from Thomas More University near Covington, and his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in physics from the University of Cincinnati. He joined the University of Iowa faculty in 1966 and continued in the Department of Physics and Astronomy until his retirement, becoming Professor Emeritus in 2010. John studied the peculiar properties of atomic magnets that were surrounded by a sea of moving electrons in a metal.

His interests included classical music, art, travel, birding, cooking, PBS shows, and University of Iowa sports. His favorite sport was the women’s field hockey team, rarely missing their home games and subscribing to Big Ten Plus to see their away games. He has an amazing book collection that fills his home; he was a voracious seeker of knowledge. John had many additional interests including bocce ball, board and card games, learning languages and photography. He cherished his time with the physics department, visiting his office regularly in his retirement. John had a dry sense of humor and was incredibly tolerant of all the pig presents the family gave him over the years. He was a devout Catholic.

Visitation will be from 5 to 7 p.m. Monday, Oct. 2, at Lensing Funeral Home in Iowa City. A funeral Mass will be at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 3, at St. Wenceslaus Catholic Church, followed by refreshments at the church. Graveside services will be held at 11 a.m. Friday, Oct. 6, at Mother of God Cemetery in Fort Wright, Ky.

In tribute or in lieu of flowers, donations may be made in his name to The Bird House Hospice Home of Johnson County (thebirdhousejc.org/) or St. Wenceslaus Catholic Church of Iowa City (stwenc-ic.com/).

Online condolences may be shared with his family at www.lensingfuneral.com.