WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — The founder of a popular Indiana pizza chain died in January.
Wendell Carter Swartz died peacefully at 98 on Jan. 24, 2024, according to his obituary.
The following statements can be attributed to his obituary:
Swartz was born on May 26, 1925, in Louisville, Kentucky.
After graduation from high school in Indiana, Swartz was inducted into the U.S. Army Air Force in October 1943 during World War II. He trained as a tail gunner on a B-24 Bomber in the Central Europe theater, flying over 30 missions.
Swartz graduated from Purdue University in 1952, where he was a soloist with the Purdue Glee Club. At one point, he sang on daytime TV, and appeared on and won "Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts."
Swartz opened his first Pizza King restaurant in 1956 in Lafayette, which was immediately successful and led to the founding of Pizza King of Indiana.
He sold his business in Indiana in 1966 and moved with his family to Key Biscayne, Florida. A few years later, he started Sir Pizza, which is still operating after 55 years and is run by his son, Barry.