Obituary of Arlene Schwartz

Obituary of Arlene Rosen Schwartz Chanah bat Golda v' Yitzchak Arlene Rosen Schwartz, 87, known to her family as Leeni, Mama and Gigi passed away at Pine Pointe Hospice in Macon, Georgia on December 29, 2019. Arlene was born in New York City on January 11, 1932. She lived on the Lower East Side until she married Max (Mecky) Schwartz and moved to Livingston Manor where he operated Schwarz Transportation, the local school bus company. In the Manor, Arlene traded the sounds of traffic and sirens for the quiet of the country which initially, she found unnerving. Arlene was a devoted wife, consummate homemaker, and a woman who spoke her mind. After Mecky's debilitating stroke in 1991, she championed his care at home for eight years until his death, which included a move to Macon where he underwent rehabilitation near their children and grandchildren. Eventually, they moved to Boca Raton, Florida where Arlene lived until she became ill in October and returned to Macon. Beautiful and stylish, Arlene was a loving mother who adored her sons-in-law who were like sons and doted on her grandchildren, maintaining a special relationship with each one. They delighted in her quick wit, keen sense of humor and honesty. She called the birth of each of her five great-grandchildren a gift she never thought she'd live to see. Despite declining health, Arlene never lost her Lower East Side sass, even in the waning days of her life. During a visit, her granddaughter placed the New York Marathon medal she won around Arlene's neck telling her that she ran 26.2 miles to earn it, to which Arlene quipped, "A cinch." And days before her death, in her final conversation with her only grandson, her burning question was, "When are you getting married?" Arlene was preceded in death by her husband, Mecky; parents Gladys and Charles Rosen, and brother, David Rosen. She is survived by daughters, Jami (Jimmy) Gaudet and Patti (Hy) Dorfman; grandchildren, Allison (Ben) Yarrow; Joby Gaudet and girlfriend Gina Schmidt; Rachel (Elie) Diner and Andi Dorfman; and five great-grandchildren, Ruby Rosen, Oscar Max, and Dean Bernard Yarrow; and Wylie Jonas and Ella May Diner. Arlene also had a special relationship with nieces and nephews, Robin (Tim) Pinkard, Jody (John) Watson, Tommy Rosen (Kia Miller), Karen Rosen and Julie Pollitz. The family thanks the staff at Pine Pointe Hospice in Macon for their care and kindness at the end of her life. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests a donation to the charity of your choice. Services will be held at 1pm at Colonial-Bryant Funeral Home, 29 Pearl Street, Livingston Manor, New York on January 5, 2020 with burial in Livingston Manor's Agudas Achim Cemetery. Arrangements under the direction of Colonial-Bryant Funeral Home, for further information call 845-439-4333 or visit www.colonialfamilyfuneralhomes.com