Chris Schwartz Bargar

Chris Schwartz Bargar, the beloved wife and adventure partner of Daniel W. Bargar, succumbed to an extended illness on August 26, 2025, in Santa Rosa, CA. Chris was born November 17, 1943, in Medford, Massachusetts, to Bette and Clarence Christiansen. She spent her formative years in Framingham, MA, graduating from Framingham High School and later Lasell Junior College (now Lasell University) in Newton, MA. Chris earned her associate degree and worked as a secretary. It was during that time she met the first love of her life, Stephen Collins Schwartz. They were married in 1966, and after a short stay in Longbranch, NJ, the couple moved with their toddler son, Craig, to Santa Rosa, CA. A daughter, Heather, joined the family, and Chris was an active, involved parent and school volunteer while her husband Steve flew for United Airlines. Chris imbued in her children a love for nature, reading, and trying new things, traveling with them alone to foreign countries, helping Heather explore her love of horses and riding, and encouraging Craig to pursue his private pilot’s license. Chris and Steve purchased a cabin at Lake Pillsbury, and her children have cherished memories of their time spent there. Trips to the lake were a favorite part of their childhood and they always looked forward to summers at the cabin. Steve and Chris traveled often with the children, including to other states to visit family members as well as a memorable trip to London. When Steve’s work took him away for extended periods, Chris kept everyone’s lives running smoothly, spending weeks at a time in the summer at Lake Pillsbury with the kids and their friends. 

In addition to supporting her children's love of activities (horse riding, multiple daily swim practices with the Neptunes, flying), Chris worked as the office administrator for Spring Creek Elementary for many years, sharing her compassion, gift for organizing, and warm, welcoming nature with hundreds of elementary children and their staff. She opened her home to Heather and Craig’s friends, showering them with hospitality and making everyone who came into her sphere feel part of the family. When her son Craig came home from college, he often brought multiple classmates with him. Chris made sure everyone had a comfortable place to sleep and, in the morning, delighted in feeding a pack of ravenous college boys. 

Chris was a gifted quilter and created gorgeous, intricate works of fabric art. She had a gift for colors and patterns and knew how to arrange them into beautifully crafted pieces. She made blankets for her grandchildren, as well as stunning pieces that adorned her home. She enjoyed reading on the sunny deck of her Oakmont home, watching the deer graze on the golf course behind her home. She was active in her church, Presbyterian Church of the Roses, and volunteered throughout the area. Chris believed in making the world a better place, and she showed it through her service to others, how she remembered birthdays and anniversaries, and the small things she did every day to make people feel loved and special. 

Chris had a gift for making her home the place people wanted to be. She was a consummate chef, and she excelled at making you feel at home. Her warm smile and dry sense of humor put everyone at ease, and she had an amazing memory for details about the people she met. Christmas was her favorite holiday, and she delighted in decorating her home and sharing the traditions of her family with her children. Her sister Carol Peterson moved to Healdsburg with her husband Mark and children Whitney and Jeff, reuniting the sisters again in the same region. When her parents Bette and Clarence Christiansen moved to Sonoma from the east coast, Chris hosted everyone for holiday and family dinners with an easy grace. She and Heather spent summers boating, water skiing, and relaxing at the lake when Craig went off to college. She comforted Craig when he called from college, homesick and second guessing his choice, and she was there for Heather as she weathered her first break up. She created a home that was a sanctuary where her family and those privileged to be a part of her life could bask in the warmth of her friendship.

When Steve died unexpectedly in 1992, Chris was left starting over after 26 years of marriage. To her surprise, love blossomed between her and a longtime family friend, Dan Bargar, a recent widower and pilot with United Airlines. What started out as mutual support during times of loss grew into almost 30 years of adventure, grandchildren, and a love both thought would never again be theirs. Dan and Chris may have married in a quiet, intimate service in 1998, but they lived life together out loud: flying across Botswana to different safari camps, multi-week cruises across the Pacific Ocean, exploring the wonders of Egypt, passing through the Panama Canal, journeying to Iceland to see the Northern Lights, cruising rivers throughout Asia, and taking trips to New York and London to attend musicals were among the many, many expeditions they did together. For decades, they spent several weeks each summer immersed in the music, seminars, and fellowship of the Chautauqua Institute, combining their love of travel with their delight in learning. Chris and Dan also bought an RV and hit the road with friends in the Rambling Roses RV group through their church. Together they explored the beauty, majesty, and history of this wonderful world, sharing tales of their voyages with their blended family. Chris and Dan had been planning a stay in Mexico when her health took a turn. 

After a few years, Chris added Nana to her many roles when Craig and his wife Wendy welcomed son Ian, and Heather had her children Bailey and Bennett. Dan’s daughter Kathleen Bargar brought husband Steve Viarengo and their daughters Grace and Lauren to the family; his son Bill Bargar had Lily and Logan. When Heather remarried, the family expanded to include husband Patrick Duffy Conneely and their children, Kenzie and Kellan. Chris was an active and involved grandmother, helping with childcare, shuttling kids to sports, and participating in school events. The grandchildren were always excited to spend time with their beloved Nana, and no one made better cookies or dinners!

Chris is survived by her husband Dan Bargar, her son Craig Schwartz (Wendy Schwartz), her daughter Heather Conneely (Patrick Duffy Conneely), stepdaughter Kathleen Bargar (Steve Viarengo), stepson William Bargar (Connie Bargar), as well as her sister Carol Peterson. She is also survived by her grandchildren Ian Schwartz, Bailey Bronston and Bennett Bronston, Kellan Conneely and Kenzie Conneely, Lauren Viarengo and Grace Viarengo, and Lily Bargar and Logan Bargar, as well as great-grandchildren Sadie Schwartz and Colter Schwartz, and niece Whitney Harrington and her family. She was preceded in death by her parents Bette and Clarence Christiansen, and her first husband and the man who introduced her to traveling, Steve Schwartz.

A celebration of Chris’s life will be held Saturday, September 13, 2025, at 2 PM at Presbyterian Church of the Roses. Chris will be interred alongside her first husband Stephen Collins Schwartz in a private service at Pleasant Hill Memorial Park. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to Church of the Roses, 2500 Patio Court, Santa Rosa, CA 95405 (PayPal is available for donations at www.churchoftheroses.org) or your favorite charity in memory of Chris.