(Community Matters 195) Remembering Dr. Joe Schwarz: Michigan State Representative Steve Frisbie

This discussion is part of a series of interviews remembering former Battle Creek mayor, lawmaker and statesman, Dr. Joe Schwarz who passed away in May, 2026. 

Michigan State Representative Steve Frisbee recalls why Dr. Joe Schwartz's humor, blunt honesty, and steady presence mattered to Battle Creek. Frisbie shares stories from the ER, his clinical style with patients, and the kind of political candor that still left room for respect. 

ABOUT COMMUNITY MATTERS
Former WBCK Morning Show host Richard Piet (2014-2017) returns to host Community Matters, an interview program focused on community leaders and newsmakers in and around Battle Creek. Community Matters is heard Saturdays, 8:00 AM Eastern on WBCK-FM (95.3) and anytime at battlecreekpodcast.com.

Community Matters is sponsored by Lakeview Ford Lincoln and produced by Livemic Communications.

Transcript

Tribute Episode Setup

Richard Piet 0:02

Up next on Community Matters, we check in with Representative Steve Frisbie as we proceed with our special Dr. Joe Schwarz tribute

Meeting Joe In Battle Creek

Richard Piet 0:12

episode. Hello, Steve. Hello, Richard. So Dr. Joe Schwarz, you hear that name? What comes to mind?

Steve Frisbie 0:22

Well, it takes me back to my early days in Battle Creek, is where I first met him. He and other physicians and John Craig from the respiratory department at Lila Hospital used to hold court, the Kangaroo Court, essentially, in the break room at the Lila ER. And we would all eat lunch in the cafeteria. They would be coming back from their rounds or their surgical procedures, whatever they were coming from. And we'd sit in there for you know 10-15 minutes and just laugh. And Dr. Schwarz was always part of that. He always had some good stories to add. And if you knew that gang back there in the in the mid-80s, it was always a good time. It included ER staff, physicians, paramedics like me, and uh just having a good time. And you got to see the person side of Dr. Joe Schwarz versus Dr. Schwarz. So and then a physician in town, of course, and I used his services as an ENT briefly, but before he was uh not part of the Grace Health anymore, he decided to get out of practice and and head back to into the teaching realm as the ENT side of things at the University of Michigan. So that was uh part of it. And then on the political side, you know, I got to know Dr. Schwarz, like I said early on, and that created a relationship. So when I went to him and said, Hey, I want to run for county commission, would you support me? He was one of the first folks that jumped right in and said, Steve, you'd make a great county commissioner. I'll support you, I'll talk about you, and I'll donate to your campaign. And he did that throughout my campaigns in seven different times. Occasionally he would throw me a check and say, you know, I know you're probably trying to raise some funds and give me a hand and always conclude you're doing a great job, and I appreciate you. So it was always a pleasure to run into Dr. Schwarz and talk about things in Battle Creek, talk about things that were medical, talk about politics. His he had such a wide range of things that you could talk about him with and feel very comfortable. So I always admire Joe and I appreciate all that he has done for the Battle Creek community.

His Style As A Doctor

Richard Piet 2:36

You know, you bring the medical purview because of your allied professions. We have heard a lot about Dr. Joe being a straight shooter and pragmatic and out there telling you how he thought it should be politically. What was he like as a doctor that you could see? We hear a lot about bedside manner and sensitivity and doctors and things like that. This would, I presume, have been a bit different than maybe the persona as a statesman.

Steve Frisbie 3:06

Yeah, because we knew each other, he was just pretty blunt with me, which was fine. I just I wanted to know what my issues were and my in my sinuses. He told me and said, Here's how you're gonna fix them moving forward. And so it was just in out, we got work to do, let's get moving. And he spent the next two minutes talking about how things are going at the county or how things are going in his life, and talk about a University of Michigan football and those kind of things. So, you know, from that perspective, because I had a relationship with him for many years, I think it was a lot different. So, but what I saw of him in ER and other places when he had to deal with patients or got to deal with patients was usually little kids having ear troubles, and he was pretty good with them. So he'd get them calmed down, he'd make sure the parents knew what was going on and and get them to a point of being comfortable and understanding what the course of action was going to be and how he was gonna help resolve the problem. So he always did a good job.

Support And Honest Politics

Richard Piet 4:09

What about when you decided to run for state office? Did you have any interactions with him about that?

Steve Frisbie 4:14

I did. And uh knocked on his door, and Joe's political persuasion had changed somewhat from the very beginning. He was always a centrist, but he leaned more left in the end. And but I knocked on his door and said, Hey, Joe, I'm I'm really I'm running for state house, and I would like to have your consideration for that in support. He said, Steve, you'll be a great state representative. And we talked for a little while, and he said his very last question was, Well, who are you running against? And when I told him he went, I've already supported Jim. And that's okay. I said, Jim, your support for Jim is fine. I just wanted to give you the opportunity to say you would support me or not. We can chat with one another and still be friends or acquaintances, and walked away knowing that he at least thought I would be a good state representative. He wasn't going to support me, but he thought I'd be a good state rep, so that meant a lot.

Richard Piet 5:07

You know, I think that's testimony, right, to the uh pragmatism that he did have. And we talked to Jim too, and and he talked about having had a similar relationship with him that you do. That is to say, you could go to his door and get a pragmatic view of things, no matter who you were.

Steve Frisbie 5:27

Right. His view was always he wasn't unafraid to share it, let's put it that way. Yeah. You know, he was very outspoken at times, and it was somebody that I always wanted to hear what he had to say. I didn't care what his persuasion had become as far as politics. I wanted to know what he had to say because I felt like his perspective was worth hearing every

Funeral Reflections And Farewell

Steve Frisbie 5:50

time.

Richard Piet 5:50

Anything you'd like to add, I haven't given you a chance to say.

Steve Frisbie 5:53

A funeral is never fun. It was a good day. Uh seeing all those folks that came out at St. Phil and being part of that to honor Joe and send him off as he deserved.

Richard Piet 6:03

All right. Thank you, Steve. Thank you. Representative Steve Frisbie on Community Matters.