Barbara Schwartz

Barbara Sue Schwartz passed away on December 31, 2018 at age 66 at Calvary Hospital following an incredibly difficult and brave fight against melanoma cancer.

She left behind her loving husband of 39 years, Larry Schwartz; her daughter, Lana; her daughter, Stacy and her husband Mike; her two granddaughters, Sophie and Hayley; her sister, Lori; her brother, Ira; her mother, Mildred; many nieces and nephews; and a number of close friends.

Born to Mildred and Saul Hershkowitz, in Brooklyn, New York, Barbara spent most of her life living in Fresh Meadows, Queens. Not only did her parents raise her and her siblings in Fresh Meadows, but Barbara chose to raise her own daughters in the neighborhood as well, right across the street from her childhood home.

An alumna of Stony Brook University, Barbara went on to earn her master's degree from Queens College and a professional diploma from St. John's University. She met her husband, Larry, through a mutual family friend. They were married in 1979.

Barbara spent her entire career dedicated to the betterment of young children's lives. First, as a special education schoolteacher in the Bronx and Queens, and then for many years as an administrator, in Middle Village, Queens, and then in the Elmont School District on Long Island. She ultimately served as Director of Pupil Personnel Services for Elmont,overseeing and responding to the needs of many special education students and their families.

Barbara was just as devoted to her family's lives as well. Upon the birth of her first granddaughter, Sophie, she received special board approval to help raise her granddaughter in her youngest months from her daughter Stacy's home in Massachusetts. And, following her retirement, she never skipped a weekly lunch with her daughter Lana in some of Manhattan's trendiest restaurants.

Barbara was a skilled knitter and crocheter, often giving her friends and family members handmade gifts for their birthdays and holidays. If Barbara learned of anyone anywhere inside one of her circles had a baby, she made sure they had a handmade knit blanket to give them. And although she was facing her own battle with cancer, she would knit caps for other patients who might have lost their hair from radiation or chemotherapy.

Known for her sharp mind, Barbara was a proficient crossword puzzle and Sudoku solver and would-be Jeopardy contestant.

A funeral service was held on Wednesday, January 2, 2019.