Betty Schware

Betty Schware's Century 1917 - 2016 Betty Kemeny Schware died September 28th, 2016 at her home in the Meridian, Boulder. She was just shy of her 100th birthday, a milestone to which she was eagerly and joyfully looking forward. Her daughter Phachog had given her a license plate sign for her walker that said "Pushing 100," which Betty found endlessly entertaining, and she directed everyone's attention to it. She had certainly made the most of her century: born on January 14, 1917, she entered life in a banner year for the world as WWI ended. She spent her early life in the Bellefaire Jewish Orphanage in Cleveland, a place where she found warmth and security. Through smarts and hard work she honed secretarial skills that led to her employment with the War Department, where, at a conference in Dallas, she met - for an hour - a handsome soldier, Rudy Schware, in 1944. He asked her to marry him after that brief meeting, and they remained married for half a century until Rudy died in 1995. They had two children, Beverly (Phachog), and Robert. After the war, Betty and Rudy together navigated the rough waters of the McCarthy era, since Rudy drew the attention of the House Un-American Activities Committee because of what it deemed his unacceptable union organizing activity, and membership in "radical organizations." Eventually, however, he became a lawyer in Denver, and Betty managed his law office for decades. She was the realist to his radical-left dreamer; she balanced his conviction about certain political ideals with a down-to-earth insistence on the importance of a financially secure daily family life. Beverly and Rob grew up in this rich stew throughout the ferment of the '60s and early '70s, the Vietnam War years. Always together, Betty and Rudy traveled the world while continuing to work shoulder to shoulder. Betty's good taste was reflected in decorating their home with understated furniture and striking works of art gathered both from their travels and from local art galleries. (The art hung near the bookshelves where Rudy's complete collection of Karl Marx's works were displayed.) Over time, Bev and Rob married and had children, and Betty was an enthusiastic grandmother to her four grandchildren. A source of deep satisfaction came from her tutoring immigrants in English one on one to help improve their lives. When Rudy died in 1995, Betty dearly missed his presence over all the years she survived him. Betty had an enduring interest in current affairs and politics, and her century went on to include all the more recent events that have marked our time: 9/11, the Middle East wars, increasing awareness of our effect on the planet, among many others. She liked to ask people what they thought of all of these, and, of course, she had strong opinions about the current election process. Her survivors include Phachog, Rob, Alice Trembour, four beloved grandchildren (Jordan, Rosa, Naomi, Shanni), and nephew Ernie. She is also survived by two nieces of Rudy's, Lily Appelman of Denver and Roberta Katz of New Jersey, who considered Betty the "last matriarch" of their sprawling family. She will be missed by all of them, as well as by her many friends.