Peter Schwartz "Leader and Innovator" Some people seem content to live on the surface of life. Peter Schwartz was not one of those people. His family and friends describe him as an innovator, someone who was "always curious, always thoughtful, always engaged." Schwartz died unexpected on October 1 at the age of 57. "Pete was the hardest-working and hardest-playing person I've ever known," says his wife Erin. "He approached everything he did with great interest and passion. And he loved trying new things." Schwartz jumped into the advertising business as a teenager in his hometown of Cleveland. After earning a degree in communication and political science at Cleveland State, he joined ImageMatrix, a computer graphics company, in 1981. In 1986, he acquired that company. In 1995, Schwartz created Bridge Worldwide, one of the first digital agencies in the U.S. and the largest ad agency in Cincinnati. He led Bridge until his retirement at the end of 2010. Over the past year, Schwartz has worked with a range of communication experts and leading media companies to develop a new concept called CrowdWise TV, an innovative online form of journalism. "Pete never stopped trying new things," says his wife. For example, she says, he recently took up stand-up paddle boarding, which he practiced in the ocean off of Siesta Key, Florida. "A lot of guys his age might be thinking about slowing down a bit. Pete was happy to grab a paddle board and jump in with the sharks literally." His wife says another distinguishing trait was Schwartz's ability to vigorously debate nearly any topic but then "let it go." "He never held a grudge or questioned people's motives," she says. "He brought out the best in people because he truly cared about what they thought and had to say and treated everyone with respect." Schwartz was born in Buffalo, New York and raised in Cleveland. He and his twin sister, Patti, are the youngest of six children. Schwartz married Erin Gunning in 1981, and they moved to Cincinnati the following year. They have three daughters: Maggie, Mary and Hannah. Their first grandchild will be born in November. Peter Schwartz of Cincinnati. Beloved husband of 31 years to Erin (nee Gunning); loving father of Maggie, Mary (Jason) Perkinson and Hannah; soon-to-be grandpa; son of the late Robert and Mary Jean; dearest brother of Robert (deceased), Mary Jo (Dave) Gerrasch, Kathy, Richard and twin sister Patti (Charlie) Cusick; dear brother-in-law of Maureen (Dan) Caine; beloved uncle to many and a dear friend to all who knew him. Mass of Christian Burial Friday, October 5, 2012 at 9:30 a.m. at St. Xavier Church 607 Sycamore St., Cincinnati, OH 45202. Family will receive friends Thursday 4-8 p.m. in the Tufts Schildmeyer Family Funeral Home 129 N. Riverside Dr., Loveland, OH 45140. In lieu of flowers, family suggests contributions to the United Way or to the Alzheimer's Association. Funeral Home: Tufts Schildmeyer Family Funeral Home & Cremation Center - Loveland 129 Riverside Drive Loveland, OH US 45140