Barrie Schwortz

Barrie has been a friend to everyone, and everything related to the Shroud. 

Obituary

Barrie Schwortz, a renowned photographer and lecturer, passed away peacefully in the presence of his family on June 21, 2024, at the age of 77. Born the son of Nathan Schwortz and Florence T. (Rosenfeld) Black on September 12th, 1946, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Barrie's life was marked by an extraordinary journey that saw him become one of the leading experts on the Shroud of Turin.

Barrie has been a friend to everyone, and everything related to the Shroud. Being Jewish he always said he was surprised to be asked to be the documenting photographer for the STURP (The Shroud of Turin Research Project) team in 1978. ‘It’s a Christian relic. Why would you want a Jew on the team.’ This was the moment that changed his life. At the end of the STURP study period he and the team were allowed to touch the Shroud with his bare hands. In that moment when he did so he became a secondary relic.

As the official documenting photographer for STURP, his work played a pivotal role in the study, capturing detailed images that have been scrutinized and admired for decades by researchers and the public alike.

In 1996, he started the Shroud.com website to become the largest and most extensive resource for the Shroud of Turin with over 15 million visits from over sixty countries. It is a comprehensive resource for anyone interested in this enigmatic relic, reflecting his unwavering commitment to the dissemination of knowledge about the Shroud.

Since then, he has been one of the biggest proponents for the study of the Shroud and has promoted it around the world. He even spoke before Muslim Jalsa Salana conferences on the Shroud to promote it outside of the Judeo-Christian world. All of us in the Shroud world will sorely miss him.

Despite his fame in the scientific and religious communities, Barrie remained a humble and approachable individual. He was known for his warmth, generosity, and willingness to engage with people from all walks of life. His ability to explain complex scientific concepts in an accessible manner endeared him to many.

In addition to his work on the Shroud, Barrie had a successful career as a commercial photographer, capturing a wide range of subjects with his keen eye and artistic flair. His photographs were not only technically brilliant but also emotionally resonant, revealing his deep understanding of the human experience. He later moved to Los Angeles and became involved in the entertainment world being editor and post-production supervisor of many best-selling episodes of “Rocky and Bullwinkle”. He also won the Parent’s Choice Video of the Year award for “Money, History In Your Hands” starring James Earl Jones as well as two Silver Screen Awards from the International Film and Video Festival of 1996.

Barrie Schwortz's legacy will endure through his contributions to science, his captivating photographs and videos, and the countless lives he touched with his knowledge and kindness. He leaves behind a rich tapestry of memories and a profound impact on the world of shroud research and photography.

Barrie's contributions extended beyond his professional work. He was a loving patriarch to his family, a devoted father and a cherished friend to many around the world. His family, friends, and colleagues remember him for his infectious enthusiasm, his profound faith, and his dedication to the pursuit of truth. He is survived by his son David (wife Marissa) and two grandsons, Sullivan and Alistar (their mother Kelly).  A private memorial service was held. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to STERA at Shroud.com/steraform.htm, his enduring legacy.

Barrie Schwortz will be dearly missed, but his spirit and legacy will live on in the hearts and minds of those who were fortunate enough to know him.

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Memory wall

September 14, 2024

I met Barrie at one of his speaking engagements in Cincinnati Ohio. I asked him some photography questions about the shroud since we both are photographers. I delighted in his answer. He will be missed.

James Dews

September 8, 2024

I met Barrie by phone initially when I wanted to purchase a high quality image of the ventral image of the Shroud. He consulted with me and helped me to purchase from STERA the full-sized negative image in black and white. It was based on an image that he had taken of the Shroud when he was in Turin Italy during the STURP project in 1978. He was always happy to take a call and he could talk for hours on various topics. We quickly became friends and it was two years later that I finally met him in Houston, TX at the opening of the Shroud exhibit at the National Funeral History Museum. (Of course, the Shroud represented the greatest funeral of all time.). When we met, he remarked a few times at how tall I was. The other thing that I will always remember is that at the end of the on-site research in October, 1978 that the whole team was allowed to touch the Shroud with their bare hands. What an honor for all of them. In so doing however, when you touch something that is a primary relic, whatever touched it becomes a secondary relic.
In his death, after spending over 40 years researching the Shroud, and seeing the resurrected face of Jesus Christ, Barrie is in Heaven able to see the living face of Jesus. Barrie, Rest in Peace.

Guy Powell

Family tree

Nathan Schwortz

Florence T. (Rosenfeld) Black

David Schwortz

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David Schwortz

Barrie Schwortz

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