QUAD CITIES, Iowa (WHBF) — Michelle Schwarz and her husband were married in August 2022. About five months later, Blake took his own life, never meeting his unborn daughter.
“He took a lot of pride in his job,” Michelle Schwarz said.
Blake was a guard at Thomson federal prison, well-respected and trusted by his peers.
“He was always the person that people came to when they were struggling,” Michelle Schwarz said. “He was always the person that seemed like he had it all together and he would always be the listener to any of his friends that were struggling.”
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But Michelle says he also held a lot inside.
“He just seemed like the one who had it all together,” Michelle Schwarz said. “But he was fighting inside a lot of battles and he unfortunately took his own life.”
In the months since, members of the American Federation of Government Workers have surrounded Michelle and her daughter with love and support.
“I don’t know where I would be without the community that gathered around me after Blake died,” Michelle Schwarz said.