LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION mourning the death of Edwin "Buzz" Schwenk,
distinguished citizen and devoted member of his community

WHEREAS, It is the custom of this Legislative Body to pay tribute to
citizens of the State of New York whose lifework and civic endeavor
served to enhance the quality of life in their communities and the great
State of New York; and
WHEREAS, Edwin "Buzz" Schwenk, an integral figure in Suffolk County
politics, business and environmental protection, died on Thursday,
December 17, 2009 at the age of 86; and
WHEREAS, Born in Southampton, New York, Edwin Schwenk graduated from
Southampton High School in 1941; he later earned a Bachelor of Arts
degree in Political Science from Colgate University in 1947; and
WHEREAS, Both his high school and college careers were dominated by a
love of sports and there were not many players who felt comfortable
facing the southpaw when he was on the pitcher's mound; his prowess as a
pitcher was legend, and he famously was offered a pitching try out by
the then New York Giants; and
WHEREAS, Edwin Schwenk also played iron man football and even managed
a few hoops on the basketball court; later in life, Schwenk was the only
golfer known to improve his score while playing with a bloody nose and
he loved to bemuse his kids on the tennis court with a serve where he
utilized all the left-handed spin he could muster and dubbed it the
"eephus" serve; and
WHEREAS, While attending college, the United States entered World War
II, and Edwin Schwenk immediately enlisted in Colgate's Navy Program; he
left college to serve on the USS Kearsarge, an aircraft carrier based in
Newport; he became a lieutenant and was a Plank member of the Kearsarge,
which means he was a part of the original crew; and
WHEREAS, Edwin Schwenk returned from the war and completed his studies
at Colgate; upon graduation, he followed his father into the dairy busi-
ness running Schwenk's Dairy from 1947 to 1978; he met his wife, the
former Diana Barnes, while delivering milk to her Water Mill home in the
summer of 1942; they were married in 1948; and
WHEREAS, Running the dairy presented Edwin Schwenk with another entre-
preneurial market opportunity; a visionary, he saw a niche for conven-
ience stores that featured Schwenk's milk as a price leader and the
Katrinka Stores were born; eventually there were 14 Katrinka stores
throughout Suffolk County and he served as president and CEO from 1961
to 1981; and also served on the Board of Directors of the Tinker
National Bank from 1963 to 1967, started his own public relations firm,
Omnibuzz Associates in 1978, was the legislative liaison for the Long
Island Builders Institute from 1987 to 1989, and served as their Execu-
tive Director from 1991 to 1996; and
WHEREAS, However, Edwin Schwenk is probably best known for his service
as the Chairman of the Suffolk County Republican Committee where he
delivered a 100,000 vote-winning margin for President Richard Nixon,
which was the largest plurality in the country; and
WHEREAS, Throughout his years of public service, there were two accom-
plishments that took center stage in Edwin Schwenk's mind and they both
involved land protection; and
WHEREAS, In 1993, Edwin Schwenk was directly involved with the
creation of the Long Island Pine Barrens Protection Act; this legis-
lation created the third largest land preserve in the State of New York
and ended years of expensive litigation for the building industry while
protecting, in perpetuity, a sole source aquifer; it was truly a histor-
ic achievement; and

WHEREAS, In 1998, Edwin Schwenk further added to his laurels by spear-
heading the passage of the Community Preservation Act; this act estab-
lished a two percent transfer tax on real estate sales to preserve open
space and recreational land on the East End of Long Island; and
WHEREAS, Along with positions in prestigious Republican organizations
such as the Governor's Club, the Capital Hill Club of Washington D.C.
and the Suffolk County Stalwarts Club, Edwin Schwenk was also a member
of the fire department, the Elks Lodge, the Cotillion Club, the Masons,
the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the Goodfellows, the Legion, the Southamp-
ton Association and the Golf Club; and
WHEREAS, Edwin Schwenk was a staple of East End politics, serving as
the Suffolk County Republican Chairman and mentoring many young politi-
cians as they came up through the ranks; and
WHEREAS, An exceptional orator and a dynamic leader, Edwin Schwenk had
an amazing ability to enthrall and mesmerize people through his rhetoric
and delivery; he could often immobilize his entire party, especially
when he emphasized a point by saying 'one more time'; and
WHEREAS, A man of singular distinction and extraordinary accomplish-
ment, Edwin Schwenk was an incredible advocate for the Southampton
community but more importantly he was a family man; nothing in the world
was more dear to him than his wife and his children and nothing could
make him smile more than his grandchildren; and
WHEREAS, He is survived by his wife of 62 years, Diana Barnes Schwenk,
his daughters Diana Urban and Kathryn Root, and his grandchildren, Lex,
Kate and Kirsten; he was pre-deceased by his beloved son, Edwin Christo-
pher Schwenk; and
WHEREAS, Armed with a humanistic spirit, imbued with a sense of
compassion, and comforted by a loving family, Edwin Schwenk leaves
behind a legacy which will long endure the passage of time and will
remain as a comforting memory to all he served and befriended; now,
therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
mourn the death of Edwin Schwenk, distinguished citizen and devoted
member of his community; and be it further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be tran-
smitted to the family of Edwin Schwenk.