Photo courtesy of Western Iowa Science and Engineering Fair

Clipping courtesy of Bob Cook.

A recently deceased Stuart resident and retired teacher leaves behind a legacy of organizing science fairs and championing area students.

Larry Schwinger passed away at the age of 70 Monday in his home. Schwinger taught science for over 30 years at Stuart-Menlo and later West Central Valley High School until his retirement in 2008. During that time he hosted science fairs and with his wife Jolene he would escort students to state, national, and international events. Schwinger was honored by West Central Valley with a Salute to Science Fair program in 2014.

He also meant a great deal to Adair-Casey/Guthrie Center High School teacher Alexa Groff, who’s known Schwinger all her life as her family’s science fair involvement goes back generations. Groff said he was willing to help in any way he could, such as writing her a reference letter when she previously taught at West Central Valley, and their collaborations serving on the Western Iowa Science and Engineering Fair Board, “Anything that I ever needed, I would always call him up and say, ‘Hey, what do you think about this?’ And he would jump right on top of it and be like, ‘Yep, let me do it.’”

Groff says Schwinger never really “retired,” as he had assisted her in bringing the seminar component back to the regional science fair this year, though it was cancelled due to COVID-19, “He has just been so instrumental in my life and helping my students. He judged my science fairs at ACGC too, so I mean when the kids see him they’re like, ‘Oh, Mr. Schwinger’s here!’ And they didn’t have him as a teacher, they don’t know him from anything other than helping with the science fair at school.”

Schwinger was practically a surrogate grandfather to Groff, and she says his influence will still be felt at the regional and other local science fairs to come. A visitation for Schwinger will be held from 5-8 p.m. Tuesday, June 9th with a funeral service being held at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday both at the First Congregational Church in Stuart. More information can be found here.