Jack William Schwalbe, 89, formerly of Melbourne, FL passed away in his sleep on Thursday, June 6, 2019 at the Community Hospice House in Merrimack, NH after a period of declining health.  Jack was born in Staten Island Hospital, New York on August 8, 1929.  He was the son of the late Charles and Ella Schwalbe of Staten Island, NY.  After the death of his wife, Lyndell Leighton Schwalbe (nee Davis), he recently moved from Florida to Merrimack, NH to be near two of his sons; James and Jeffrey.  He was an avid sports enthusiast playing basketball, baseball, football in his youth and later became an avid golfer.  One of his favorite things was to watch sports on TV.

Jack was drafted into the U.S. Army and stationed in Illsheim, Germany for 2 years in 1951.  After returning, he attended Wagner College and then Cooper Union on the G.I. Bill where he received his B.S. degree in Structural Engineering in 1962.  After starting a family and moving to Ledyard, CT, he worked at Electric Boat, a division of General Dynamics where he designed submarine hull structures.  Going to school at night, he received his master’s degree at the University of Connecticut in 1967.  A few years later the family moved to Satellite Beach and later Melbourne Beach, FL where he worked at Florida Institute of Technology (F.I.T., now Florida Tech) until he retired as Professor Emeritus in 2000.  At F.I.T. he started as Assistant Professor of Ocean Engineering and became Chairman of the program in 1977.  In 1980 he transferred to the newly created Civil Engineering program and was promoted to Associate Professor in 1984.  He became Chairman and later President of the Faculty Senate in 1993.  In 1997 he was the founder and advisor of the Rotary Club at F.I.T.  He also published a textbook in his field and was the tennis coach in the late 1970s. He later started his own consulting business on the side which he continued after he retired from F.I.T. 

Jack is survived by his son James and wife Colleen of Londonderry, NH and their three children; Kaleigh, Courtney, and Jared,  his son Jeffrey and his wife Barbara of Merrimack, NH and their two children; Jade and Joslyn, and his son John of Grant, FL and his four children; Joey, Jason, Klaudia, and Jenny and one great-grandson, Jaxon.

It was his wish not to have a wake or funeral, and to be cremated at Michaud Funeral Home and Crematorium of Wilton, NH.  His remains will be placed next to his wife Lynn’s in the Memory Garden at St. Sebastian by the Sea Episcopal church in Melbourne Beach where they were active members for many years.