News and Knowledge

It is with great sadness that we announce the death of Edward H. Schwallie, one of OAR’s founders, who passed away after a long illness on Father’s Day surrounded by his wife, Marge, and members of his family. He was 84 years old.

Schwallie was born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio, graduated from John Carroll University, and proudly served in the U.S. Army. He was a highly successful businessman logging more than 30 years with Booz Allen Hamilton before he retired.

Despite his successful career, family always came first for Schwallie. As he himself said, “The greatest part of my life has been my family, married for 63 years to my wife, Marge, and six great kids and their super spouses, who provided us with 11 wonderful grandchildren and three great grandchildren.” 

Beginning with the eulogy delivered by his son and namesake, Ed Jr., speaker after speaker, including several of his grandchildren and representatives from the community and autism charities that Schwallie served, told stories of his great generosity. He was generous with his money, his time, and his friendship. Nowhere was he more generous with each than in his service to the autism community.

As one of seven founding members of OAR’s board of directors, Schwallie took an interest in OAR much like a father does in his own child. Keenly aware of the needs of autism parents and the community through his family’s own experience, he drew upon more than a quarter century’s leadership experience beginning with the Autism Society Chapter in Cleveland, followed by the Autism Society of America (ASA) and ASA Foundation, to help shepherd OAR through its formative years. He willingly shared his professional expertise in business and financial management and instilled a strong sense of fiscal accountability in OAR that stands to this day.

While his contributions to OAR over 11 years were many, the program that bears his family’s name, the Schwallie Family Scholarship Program, will forever testify to his vision, his great interest in adults with autism, and his undying belief in their potential to achieve and lead lives of meaning and quality. Established in 2007, the program offers financial support to young men and women with autism pursuing college studies or vocational-technical training after high school. It was then the only program of its kind in the United States.

Since its inception, 157 students with autism or Asperger Syndrome have received a combined total of $471,000 as Schwallie Family Scholarship recipients. For this and more, OAR honored Schwallie as the first board member emeritus in OAR’s 15-year history when he stepped down from the board in 2012. He remains the only person ever to receive that honor.

“So, Ed has left us after a life well lived,” says Mike Maloney, OAR’s executive director. “His spirit and generosity live on in each member of his family and in OAR. Rest assured, he is keeping a watchful and loving eye on all of us. May the Schwallie family find peace and comfort in Ed’s life and legacy of personal excellence and service to others, and may our good friend and leader, Ed, rest in peace.”