Anita Eerdmans Schwarz, a 50-year resident of Rye, N.Y., passed away on January 30, 2023.
Born in Sutton, Surrey, England, on November 30, 1939, she was the daughter of Johannes Eerdmans and Antonia Wilhelmina de Vries. In 1953, she moved to the United States with her parents and three sisters and went on to graduate from Mamaroneck High School, Class of 1957, before attending Wellesley College.
She married John A. Schwarz III on June 6, 1959, a storybook marriage of 63 years.
Mrs. Schwarz was a devout parishioner of All Saints’ Episcopal Church in Harrison, N.Y., and a volunteer manager of its Second Chance Thrift Shop. She was a member of Westchester Country Club and the Union League Club of New York. She was also a longstanding member of the Sankaty Head Golf Club in Nantucket, Mass., and Coral Beach Club in Paget, Bermuda.
She excelled at many sports, including tennis, paddle tennis, and golf; she recorded five holes-in-one over her life, most recently at Westchester Country Club at the age of 80. She was also a skilled bridge player and a theater devotee.
An active member of the Rye community, she was a past president of the Rye Historical Society and was integral in the restoration project of the Milton Road Cemetery. A talented watercolorist, Mrs. Schwarz took classes for 25 years at The Rye Arts Center with a longstanding devoted group of artists. She worked as a travel agent at Travel Anywhere in Rye and supported the schools in Rye that her children and grandchildren attended. Four of her children attended Duke University, and she and her husband were not only avid Blue Devil fans but served as members of the Board of Advisors of the Duke University Nasher Museum of Art.
Her life was filled with so many passions, but her children and grandchildren brought her the greatest joy. According to her children, “She was the true matriarch of our family and she enjoyed deep personal relationships with all her grandchildren, who ranged in age from 10 to 28. A regular attendee at their sporting events and Christmas concerts, she was the ultimate cheerleader and proud grandmother. We will miss her dearly and hold all the wonderful memories close to our hearts.”
In addition to her husband John, she is survived by her children: Jennifer Horne (Robert) of Rye, Adam Schwarz of Washington, D.C., Patrick Schwarz (Whitney) of Rye, Christy Schultze (George) of Rye, and Timothy Schwarz (Sarah) of Darien, Conn.; and her 18 grandchildren: Andrew, Jarrett, and Phoebe Horne; Jackson and William Schwarz; Van, Ally, Madeline, and Sabrina Schwarz; Annabelle, Julia, Hugo, Walter, Eloise, and Blaise Schultze; and Sophie, Jamie, and Caroline Schwarz. She is also survived by her sisters, Lidi Woodthorpe and Tris Barker, of England.
A funeral service was held February 3 at Christ’s Church in Rye.
Donations in Anita Schwarz’ memory may be made to All Saint’s Episcopal Church, 300 Harrison Avenue, Harrison, NY 10528.
