Elliot Schwartz died in Portland, Maine, on Sept. 24, 2026, at the age of 59, following a short battle with brain cancer.

Elliot was born in Brooklyn, New York, to Gordon and Yvette Schwartz and had one younger brother, Jeffrey. He grew up in Hazlet, New Jersey, where he attended Raritan Valley School and Raritan High School before going on to MIT, where he earned a bachelor's degree in applied mathematics and materials science and engineering (double major) in 1989 and a Ph.D. in materials engineering in 1994, bypassing the need for a master’s degree because of the type of academic program he was part of.

Elliot worked as an engineer at Procter & Gamble for 18 years before pursuing a second career in sports analytics. He led the creation of the analytics function at the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee, a job he loved.

Elliot’s life can be summed up simply: it was a life well lived. His wit and sense of humor were second to none, and his passion for his favorite sport, figure skating, bordered on obsession. His trip to the Milan Olympics, where he volunteered at the figure skating events, was one of the highlights of his life. But it was Elliot’s heart and warmth that touched so many people.

He met his husband of 32 years, Byron Cortez, in Boston in 1994, while they were both still in college. They quickly became each other’s best friends, and their shared wanderlust made them ideal travel partners. The world was their oyster, and they got to see a lot of it together. They remained very close even while living apart for several years as they pursued their careers.

Elliot was a math genius, and like most geniuses, he wasn’t particularly good at house chores or mundane household tasks—a source of frequent scorn from Byron. But Elliot’s humor and good nature made it impossible to stay mad at him for long. He cultivated many friendships throughout his life, especially within the figure skating community, where he leaves a huge void.

Elliot and Byron discovered Boothbay during the pandemic, and it was love at first sight. After spending a week in Boothbay in 2020, they knew this was where they were meant to be. If you asked them, they would tell you that moving from Boston to Boothbay was the best decision of their lives.

Elliot is survived by his husband, Byron; his brother, Jeff; his aunt and uncle, Barbara and Howard Spun; his cousin, Brandon and Brandon’s two children, Beatrice and Elijah.

Please remember Elliot with a smile on your face. That is how he would like to be remembered.

In lieu of flowers or other gifts, please consider making a donation to the American Cancer Society.

A celebration of Elliot’s life will be organized at a later date.