Passing of the not so old guard

I heard from a friend that Dave Schwartz passed away yesterday.  Dave was only 54 and had struggled with a brain cancer for the past couple of years.  Not a good way to go.  I first met Dave, when as a neophyte in the business of produce sales, I called on him to sell spinach.  Dave was the buyer at J.C. Brock in Buffalo.  The company was rapidly becoming a large player in the packaged spinach business and Dave was a large part of the how and why.  He was an outsize personality and always knew what he wanted.  Buffalo was a gritty, rustbelt town in the 70s and 80s, and Brock was one of the bright spots in a sorry landscape.  Eventually, the company grew too fast and went down, but Dave continued his association with the spinach industry and worked hard for what he felt were the best interests of the business.  I did not always see eye to eye with Dave, as he approached the challenges from the viewpoint of the repackers and I advocated (and still do) for the growers who make the entire enterprise possible.  That is neither here nor there at present.  Dave always treated everyone in the business with respect.  He was a hard nosed advocate, but a warm human being who cared for those he dealt with in business.  I'm sure he was even more caring and generous to his friends and family.  He will be missed.