S.S. Schwartz; Retired Superior Court Judge

S.S. Schwartz, a retired Van Nuys Superior Court judge who was active in civic affairs, has died in a Los Angeles hospital. He was 69.

A resident of Beverly Hills, Schwartz died Wednesday of complications following heart surgery, according to a longtime family friend.

Born Sam Stanton Schwartz in New York City, he grew up in Tucson, where he attended the University of Arizona. During World War II, he served in the Army and graduated from the University of Southern California law school in 1946. Schwartz was elected to the Superior Court in 1976 after spending 30 years in general practice in Huntington Park.

As a civil trial judge he earned the nickname “Settling Sam” because of his ability to settle cases quickly. He served as supervising judge in Van Nuys from 1987 to 1988 and later was assigned exclusively to settlement conferences. He retired last month.

Schwartz was a founder and director of the Valley Community Legal Foundation until 1984. For 16 years, he was a Los Angeles County adoptions commissioner and served as chairman of the board of Mechanics National Bank from 1965 to 1970. He had also been on the Los Angeles County Democratic Central Committee and had been president of the Democratic Council of the 61st Assembly District.

He was a member of the American Judicature Society, the American Bar Assn., the Eddie Cantor Masonic Lodge, the Scottish Rite, the Westwood Shrine Club, the Peace Officers’ Shrine Club, the Gateway Club, the Kiwanis Club, the Optimist Club, the Elks Club, Knights of Pythias, American Legion and Jewish War Veterans. Schwartz also was active in B’nai B’rith.

He is survived by his wife of 45 years, Arline Schwartz; sons Neil Schwartz of Northridge and Randall Schwartz of Sherman Oaks; daughter Leslie Sacheim of Sherman Oaks; brother Murry Schwartz of Los Angeles; and four grandchildren.

Funeral services are scheduled for 2 p.m. today at Mt. Sinai Memorial Park, 5950 Forest Lawn Drive, Los Angeles. Malinow & Silverman Mortuary in Los Angeles is handling the arrangements. Donations can be made in Schwartz’s name to a charity of the donor’s choice.