Jane McCormick passed peacefully of natural causes at her home in Irvine, California with her son Gary, and daughter Linda by her side at 103 and 3/4 years young.
Jane was preceded in death by her first husband Robert Leslie (Bob) Schwerdtfeger in 1971, and her son, Robert Alan Schwerdtfeger (Bobby), who was the inspiration and driver of Jane’s lifetime of achievement for those with developmental disabilities in Ottawa. Jane was also preceded in death by her second husband, Francis (Mac) McCormick in 2012 after 37 years of a beautiful, happy marriage.
Jane is survived by two children, Gary Schwerdtfeger (Diane) of San Carlos, CA, and Linda Mussallem (Mike) of Laguna Beach, CA.
She is also survived by her stepdaughter Jean McCormick Farrell of Ottawa, IL, ten McCormick grandchildren and twenty McCormick great-grandchildren. Jane was the only Gramma those grandchildren knew. Jane cherished her second family and was very happy to have them visit her in California.
Friends and loved ones are welcomed to gather and honor the cherished memory of
Jane McCormick. Visitation hours will be held on Wednesday, October 14, from 5:00 to
7:00 PM at Gladfelter-Roetker Funeral Home located at 1601 E. Norris Drive in Ottawa,
IL, and again on Thursday, October 15, starting at 10:00 AM at The Abbey – Ottawa Center for the Arts (formerly Christ Episcopal Church) located at 113 E. Lafayette Street in Ottawa, Illinois. A service celebrating her life will take place at 11:00 AM with Fr. Michael Dwyer officiating. Private burial will be at Oakwood Memorial Park. In lieu of flowers, Jane would be honored if you donated in her memory to Ottawa Friendship House.
Jane Sandra Krazel Schwerdtfeger McCormick was born in Cleveland, Ohio where she lived until her marriage to Robert Leslie Schwerdtfeger, also of Cleveland. Early in marriage, they moved to Boundbrook, New Jersey where they had two children, Robert Alan (1942), and Gary Kenneth in 1946.
Bob and Jane and the boys moved to Ottawa, Illinois where daughter Linda Jane was born in 1950. Jane immediately got involved at Christ Episcopal Church, which was a central part of her life for the 72 years she lived in Ottawa. In 2019, Jane moved to Irvine, California to be closer to her daughter and son. While there, she was devastated to learn that her beloved church in Ottawa was severely damaged by a fire and ultimately closed its doors. Jane was very pleased when she learned that The AbbeyCenter for the Arts would allow her and former church patrons to have their final service in the place that was central to her community in Ottawa.
Jane’s first husband, Bob Schwerdtfeger passed away in 1971, at the early age of 53 after many years at Bakelite Plastics. Jane and young Bob held down the fort on Chapel Street on the east side of Ottawa. Before long, one of Jane’s friends played matchmaker. Jane and Francis “Mac” McCormick, a farmer in Ottawa, were married in 1975. Jane became stepmom to three, a grandmother to ten, and eventually a greatgrandmother to twenty loving young McCormicks. She and Mac had a wonderful life together full of dancing and shenanigans. Mac passed away in Ottawa on November 1, 2012.
Jane’s lifetime career was born in her role of mother. Bob, Jane’s firstborn, was born with Down Syndrome. In that era, doctors were severely lacking in understanding Down Syndrome and were ill-prepared to guide young parents. The language that was used was more about what Bob was not, without much consideration to who Bob was. The young parents were guided to put Bob in an institution and to go on with their lives. “He may never walk or talk. He may be bed-ridden. He may not live past 3 years.” Jane and Bob went to multiple doctors hoping for better guidance, but found they were on their own. They determined that Bob’s best chance was to live in a loving household and to be provided every opportunity they could uncover.
Bobby was 5 when the family moved to Ottawa. Jane worked with him every day to teach him whatever he could absorb little by little. A social worker visited on a regular basis to see how Bobby and his parents were doing. Jane yearned for opportunities for Bob to socialize and have friends, learn colors, letters, numbers, manners, alongside his peers. She wanted him to experience the same opportunities as other children, albeit a
different version. Jane inquired about other families in town who had children with disabilities like Bob. Eventually, seven families got connected equipped with love,
desire, and the technology of nothing but telephones and typewriters. In 1953, The Mothers Club of Exceptional Children was born with Jane as president.
As an avid reader of the newspaper, Jane read that the Chicago Jaycees had decided to make Down Syndrome the focus of their charity for the year. She wondered if the Ottawa Jaycees might do the same. Jane was a young mother with a big heart-driven goal, and no playbook to follow. She wrote speeches and practiced them in her bedroom with the door closed. The Jaycees, Lion’s Club, Masons, Knights of Columbus, the city council, AFL-CIO–anyone who was willing to give her the floor, heard Jane’s logic for raising funds for the betterment of local handicapped children so that they too could be educated and socialized to their full potential. Fundraisers were not galas! They were bake sales at the side yard at the Christ Episcopal Church, rummage sales in the church basement. Jane and a small band of mothers were on a mission.
One family who caught the vision was the Myers family who led the AFL-CIO on the south side of Ottawa. The Mother’s Club was offered use of a little building that was being used for storage. In a major community undertaking, parents and caring volunteers worked together to clean the building, build a ramp, raise donations for furnishings, paint and create a mesmerizing bright happy place. In 1955, Echo (Every Child Hope and Opportunity) School came to fruition. A part-time teacher was recruited, and the families pitched in for her salary. A little kitchen was part of the school to serve snacks and meals, but also to teach the students table manners, and how to set a table.
As the children aged, it became evident that a different kind of program would be needed. They needed jobs to feel a sense of pride, to earn a paycheck, a safe space to adapt to the community, and potentially a place to experience independent or supported living. What was sparked by reading a newspaper article, grew and evolved to what became known as Ottawa Friendship House in 1966.
Jane often said she was given too much credit for Ottawa Friendship House because she was the only one still living! Jane did not do it alone, but article after article give evidence that Jane’s strong voice was a tireless guiding force. Her family and extended family could not be prouder of this beautiful legacy.
On Jane’s 100th birthday, Jane received a major tribute on the front page of the Ottawa Daily Times thanking her for her vision, drive, dedication, and obvious success. Friendship House reached its 60th anniversary in 2026! How fitting that Jane did her farewell dance in this anniversary year! Jane loved Ottawa and her many Ottawa
friends. She kept in touch with cards, notes, and phone chats. She encouraged those who have followed in her footsteps to keep up the fight, to make sure that Friendship House continues to enhance the lives and good health of those who can benefit, and to never be content, but always be seeking to improve. Jane remained on the Friendship House board of directors until her early 80’s. She said, “I fear they don’t want to ask me to leave the board, so I guess I will have to resign!”
Jane left Ottawa in 2019, leaving behind many rich relationships, and her loving McCormick family. Young friends, decades younger than she, cherished learning and laughing with her. Jane was spirited and loved loved loved to laugh, even a bit on the eve before she passed.
Jane McCormick was sharp as a tack until the day she left earth. She was lively, funny, and so caring of others. In the 1950s, Jane, and her team of other mothers were the right ones to lead the charge in Ottawa, Illinois to create what is now known as Ottawa Friendship House. And 60 years later, Ottawa Friendship House now serves more than 75 individuals with developmental disabilities. Now that’s a legacy!
Rest in peace, Jane McCormick.