Ethel Lea Schwartz

Ethel Lea Schwartz passed away at the age of 105 on November 16, 2019. She was born in Chicago on August 27, 1914. She moved to Louisville, KY with her family when her husband became a professor at the University of Louisville. Family and friends were most important to her and she kept in close contact with all, even in her advanced age. Several of her friends had children who considered her to be an aunt. She was an avid baker, sometimes making 12 to 15 loaves of breads at a time, and always had the freezer stocked with cookies, which she readily shared. She was a leader of several Girl Scout troops in both Chicago and Louisville. Perhaps her most dedicated involvement was with The Little Loomhouse in Louisville. She went there to get weaving lessons for her daughter, and fell in love with the place as well as with weaving. During the 30+ years that she was an on-site volunteer, she taught countless children and adults how to weave and the art and tradition of weaving. She also held several leadership positions in the organization. Though she moved to St. Louis a few years ago to be closer to her family, she continued weaving, and gave hand woven bookmarks to people in her community as a gesture of friendship and welcome. She was also able to teach the older of her great-grandchildren to weave. For her work at The Little Loomhouse and other volunteer efforts, she was appointed to The Honorable Order of Kentucky Colonels by the then-Governor of Kentucky.

She was the beloved wife of the late Manuel Schwartz; dear mother and mother-in-law of Joel (Barbara) Schwartz and Susan (Mark) Winter; dear grandmother of Michael (Clara Perry) Schwartz, Dori (Stuart) Dunster, Danielle (Micah) Langer, Benjamin (Michelle) Winter and Jonathan (Emily) Winter; dear great-grandmother of Ingrid Schwartz and Lainey and Oakley Dunster; dear sister, sister-in-law, aunt, great-aunt, cousin and friend to many.

Graveside service Thursday, November 21st, 11:00 AM at United Hebrew Cemetery, 7855 Canton Avenue in St. Louis. Memorial contributions preferred to The Little Loomhouse, Lou Tate Foundation, PO Box 9124, Louisville, KY 40209.