Debra Schwartz "Mimi" Hale

Debra Schwartz (Mimi) Hale passed away on Monday, September 25, 2023 at the age of 67 at Ochsner Medical Center in Baton Rouge. Our Mimi was a teacher, wife, mother, grandmother and friend. She retired recently after 45 years of teaching middle school in EBRP schools and at St George Catholic School. Mimi was awesome in everything she did. She had a talent for so many different things that there aren't sufficient words to describe her accurately. Mimi was the best mother to her two children, Michael Jr and Catherine Hale Whitehead as well as her son-in-law Brent Whitehead who was a second son to her. Mimi's husband Michael Sr says, quoting his grandfather, "In the garden of life, I picked a peach." Michael and Mimi were married for 45 wonderful years. They recently returned from a trip to Mimi's native Kentucky where they visited friends and relatives. A true blessing. No one has ever been more excited to have a grandchild than Mimi was when her Arie Michael was born three years ago to Catherine and Brent. He was a joy to her every day. Mimi is also survived by her siblings, Barry Schwartz and his wife Jan of Lexington Kentucky, Sally Sponzilli and her husband Steve of Florence, Kentucky, her sister Tamme Reumann and her husband Gus also of Florence and her youngest brother Johnny Schwartz and his wife Sharon of Independence, Kentucky. Mimi had over 50 first cousins as well as numerous nieces and nephews and Aunts and Uncles. Her niece Elyce Nieman of Spurger, Texas has been indispensable in planning the celebration of Mimi's life and a rock in our time of grief. It would require more pages than the Advocate contains in order to list all of the friends, teachers, students, school administrators and total strangers whose lives she impacted in a meaningful way. That being said, no tribute to Mimi would be complete without mentioning her best friends in the whole world: Tracy West, Paula Sisson, Toni Busch, Tammy McDavid and Jean Story. Michael Sr told one of Mimi's doctors, "Don't be surprised if at least a dozen women turned up claiming to be Mimi's best friend." And all of them were. We are all shocked and inconsolable at losing her. Mimi was preceded in death by her parents, Carl and Jody Schwartz of Villa Hills, Kentucky, her beloved Aunt, Sherry Barton also of Villa Hills and her second mother and father, Aunt Rose and Uncle Bob Rolfsen of Baton Rouge. Visitation will be at St. George Catholic Church on 7808 St George Drive in Baton Rouge on Saturday, September 30 from 9 am to 11 am immediately followed by a funeral mass. Please send flowers to St. George Church or donate in her name to St. Vincent de Paul. https://ssvpusa.org/donate/