Retta Schachter Fagin

Retta Fagin was born August 13, 1918, in New York to Jacob and Rose Schachter. The child of immigrants, Retta grew up in The Bronx with her brothers William and Philip (Kenneth). She liked to tell the story of how a music teacher at her school noticed that she played "air piano" on her desk and encouraged her parents to get her a piano. The piano was hoisted through the windows at their 3rd story walk up, and that began a lifelong love of music.

Retta was a gifted student who went on from Hunter High School to graduate from Hunter College. Her math and science skills earned her a position as a physicist with the U.S Army Signal Corp and Bell Labs during WW2, but her love of learning and music took her to PS 117 in Queens where she taught 3rd and 5th grade and directed the music program for most of her career. Retta led her students into music and theatre and inspired many with the musical productions at her school.

Retta was married three times. She was courted by and in 1944 married Louis Samson Breier, a writer and political operative. They had two sons, Joshua and Michael, and many friends in Parkway Village, Queens, where they lived and raised the boys. Louis died young in 1960, of complications from rheumatic fever he had contracted as a child. Widowed and a single mother, Retta met and in 1964 married Allen Landowne, a fellow educator, lover of travel and music, who became a beloved stepfather to Josh and Michael. Tragically, Michael was stricken with a brain tumor and died at age 15 in 1966.

Retta and Allen enjoyed travel and learning and often combined the two with vacations at ElderHostel around the world. On retirement from the NYC school system, in 1976 they moved to Heritage Village in Southbury, CT, and Delray Beach, FL, where they became friends and travel companions with Ted and Taube Fagin.

After both Allen and Taube passed, Ted and Retta found comfort in each other and married. Retta frequently said she was fortunate to have had three wonderful husbands.

As Ted's memory began to fade, Ted and Retta moved to East Hill Woods, now the Watermark at East Hill. Retta became active at East Hill as she was in each of her environments, serving as a community representative, as President of the Residence Council, as well President of League of Women Voters Southbury, as a docent of the Mattatuck Museum, and as the organizer of the annual Seders at East Hill/Watermark.

Retta made her mark on Watermark as a long-time resident, community leader, and friend. She counted many staff members and residents as friends.

Retta was predeceased by her parents, her brothers, husbands Louis, Allen, and Ted, and her son Michael. She is survived by her loving son Josh Breier, his wife Betsy, grandsons Ben and Jacob, their wives Yena and Austin, and five great grandchildren: Spike, Ziggy, Rocket, Cecilia, and Louis, as well as by beloved and devoted nieces and nephews Myles, Jesse, Roy Schachter and Nancy Barr, and Aimee Birnbaum, Jacqueline Schachter Hecht and Jordan Schachter and their families.

A celebration of life will be held Sunday, June 4, 2023, at 11 am at the Commons at Watermark East Hill, Southbury, CT.