Hilda M Swartz

Hilda Marie Swartz passed away peacefully, with family by her side, on February 11, 2026 at Carleton-Willard Village in Bedford, Massachusetts.  Hilda Swartz was born on January 25, 1931 in Greenwood, Delaware to Nevin and Esther (Lauver) Bender. She was the fourth of nine children, grew up on a farm, and attended the Greenwood Mennonite School.  Hilda’s father, Nevin Bender, was the Minister of Greenwood Mennonite Church.  Hilda attended Lancaster Mennonite High School in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, graduating in 1949. From 1949 to 1952, Hilda assisted the elderly in the Greenwood community in their homes and worked in a factory. 

     Hilda attended Milford Memorial Hospital School of Nursing in Milford, Delaware, beginning in 1952 and graduating at the top of her class in 1955 as a Registered Nurse (RN). Hilda married Merlin Swartz, the love of her life, on July 8, 1955 and was a devoted wife to Merlin for over 66 years. After their marriage, Hilda and Merlin lived in Harrisonburg, Virginia and then in Goshen, Indiana, Hilda pursuing her career as a Nurse in both cities.  Merlin pursued studies at Eastern Mennonite Seminary in Harrisonburg after graduating from Eastern Mennonite College in 1955, and then attended Goshen Biblical Seminary.  During their time in Goshen, Hilda and Merlin took leaves of absence, from 1957 to 1959 and, together volunteered to do relief work among Palestinian refugees in the West Bank, the Sinai Peninsula and southern Jordan with the Mennonite Central Committee. Hilda and Merlin were lifelong pacifists and Mennonites and performed this relief work as an alternative to military service. Upon returning from abroad, Merlin completed his studies at Goshen Biblical Seminary in 1960.  Hilda and Merlin then moved to Cambridge, Massachusetts where Hilda continued to pursue her career in Nursing and Merlin pursued graduate studies in Classical Arabic and Islamic Studies at Harvard University, graduating with a PhD in 1967.  During these graduate studies years, Hilda, Merlin and their 4 children spent a year in Damascus, Syria where Merlin conducted research for his dissertation. 

     Hilda and Merlin moved to Beirut, Lebanon from 1967 to 1970.  During her years in Beirut, Hilda attended the Beirut College for Women (now a member college of Lebanese American University of Beirut), earning a BA in 1968. Merlin was a professor at the American University of Beirut and the Near East School of Theology.  During their years in Beirut, Hilda and Merlin travelled extensively in the Middle East, including to classical music concerts performed amongst the ruins of Baalbek and spending summers in  Dhour El Choueir, nestled in the mountains of Lebanon. 

     Upon returning to the states, Merlin taught at Harvard University from 1970 to 1972 (Research Fellow) and then at Boston University starting in 1973, becoming Professor of Religion. 

     Throughout her life, Hilda had worked as a nurse in different hospitals and in different capacities, including working for many years as an Overnight Obstetrical (Delivery Room) Nurse at Mount Auburn Hospital in Cambridge. Growing out of her passion for helping and assisting others, Hilda also had a long-standing interest in Social Work and decided to pursue graduate studies in Social Work at Boston University (BU)  earning a Master of Social Work (MSW) degree in 1977.  Hilda held a number of positions as a social worker after graduating from BU, including at Cambridge-Somerville Home Care. In 1982, Hilda accepted the position of the first Director of Social Services at Carleton-Willard Village, a retirement community in Bedford, Massachusetts. She held this position until 1989. Hilda and Merlin spent a sabbatical year in 1989-1990 in Egypt, Syria and Turkey where Merlin conducted research for a book.  When Hilda returned to the Boston area in 1990, she assumed the position of Director of Social Services at North Hill Retirement Community in Needham. Hilda held this position until 2005. Merlin taught at Boston University until 2008. Hilda and Merlin lived in Singapore for a semester in 2008-2009 where Merlin taught at the National University of Singapore. 

     Hilda and Merlin were founding members of the Mennonite Congregation of Boston and were members of First Parish in Bedford.  

     Hilda was predeceased by Merlin in 2022 as well as by her parents Nevin (1975) and Esther (1967) Bender. Hilda leaves her daughter Sondra and her husband Souhil (KassHana), her son Daryl, her daughter Wanda, her son Kenton and his wife Amy (Horst), one granddaughter, three grandsons, and two great granddaughters.  

     Hilda is survived by brother Paul, sister Emma (Myers), brother Donald and his wife Judy (Harak), and sisters-in-law Anne (Yoder) and Lourene (Godshall), and by many nieces and nephews. 

     Hilda was preceded in death by sister Lura and her husband Millard (Benner), sister Miriam and her husband Elmer (Jantzi), brother Titus, sister Mildred, brother Nevin, sister-in-law Virginia (Riehl), and brother-in-law Glenn (Myers). 

     Hilda was a loving, caring, attentive, and devoted daughter, wife, mother and grandmother. She was an empathetic and devoted social worker and nurse, always making her residents and patients her priority and working tirelessly to meet their needs. Hilda was an avid and adventurous traveler. She loved singing, church hymns and classical music. Hilda and her sister Millie sang in the chorus for a performance of Handel’s Messiah at the American University of Beirut. Hilda was devoted to peace, equality, and justice for everyone. Her family loved, respected, admired and appreciated Hilda beyond all measure. 

     A Service of Remembrance and Celebration of the Life of Hilda M. Swartz will be held on Sunday, August 16, 2026 at 2:00pm at First Parish in Bedford, Massachusetts. All are welcome to attend. 

     Donations in memory of Hilda M. Swartz may be made to:

Mennonite Central Committee, 

21 South 12th Street, P.O. Box 500, 

Akron, PA  17501

FAQs | Mennonite Central Committee

https://mcc.org/ 

Or

Doctors Without Borders USA

Attn: Planned Giving 

40 Rector Street, 16th Floor

New York, NY 10006