Bobbe L Schwartz

Bobbe was born to Rebecca “Betty” Rosenbaum Schwartz and Harry Nathan Kopps Schwartz on July 14, 1934, in Chicago. She was the older sister of Arnold Jay Schwartz of Woodland Hills, California, who preceded her in death in 2017.

Bobbe’s early childhood was spent in Chicago within walking distance of numerous aunts, uncles, cousins, and her four grandparents from Poland. These were among the happiest days of her life. In 1947, her family moved to Oklahoma City. She studied art and psychology at the University of Oklahoma in Norman and continued her studies in Kansas City after her family moved there in 1953. She met her future husband after coming home from registering for school as he was mowing the lawn; they were neighbors who were introduced by his youngest sister, Ranore. Bobbe carpooled to school with them, typed his medical school applications, and worked in personnel at KU Medical Center while they were engaged and he was in medical school. They married in 1956 and moved to Los Angeles in 1958.

Bobbe was a loving, thoughtful, patient, and generous mother, bubbe, sister, and aunt who valued time with family. She felt great pride in being Jewish and maintaining a Jewish home, which was evident, as it was often filled with the scent of her delicious cooking of family recipes, Judaica in every room, her love of Jewish music, and her joy in celebrating Jewish holidays and festivals with her children and grandchildren. While her children were growing up in Northridge, California, and Tulsa, Oklahoma, she cooked for and hosted large Pesach and Rosh Hashanah gatherings, volunteered at shul, and socialized with many friends. After returning to California from Oklahoma in the 1980s, she volunteered at a local chapter of the Arthritis Foundation in the San Fernando Valley. She thrived as an organizer of events, which included finding inspiring speakers, and she worked as a travel agent who specialized in overseas trips.

As a child, Bobbe played the clarinet and ukulele. In her 60s, she took up the keyboard for fun and even recorded cassette tapes of her playing and singing. Her favorite musical artists included Ofra Haza, Barbra Streisand, Andrea Bocelli, and Neil Diamond and Barry Manilow, whom she saw in concert. She was particularly moved by the Israeli songs “Yerushalayim Shel Zahav,” “BaShana HaBa'ah,” and “Halleluyah La Olam.”

Bobbe was a voracious reader who read several books weekly, a skilled artist who found pleasure and peace in oil painting and sketching, a prolific traveler who had been to six continents, a lover and adopter of many dogs, and an enthusiastic collector of owls of all types. She thoroughly enjoyed the theatre and attended performances and musicals for as long as she was able. She also made an annual trek to Laguna Beach for the Festival of Arts Pageant of the Masters. Laguna Beach was a special place for her. After dropping her kids off at preschool, elementary school, and middle school in the 1970s, she and her best friend drove there to spend the day at the beach before returning in the afternoon.

Bobbe was preceded in death by her parents, Betty R. and Harry N. Schwartz, and two children, Sheryl Ann Rosenthal (Nathan Appel) and Baby Boy Rosenthal, buried in Jerusalem and Kansas City, respectively.

She is survived by her sons, Howard Rosenthal (Aaris Sherin) of Nyack, New York, and Michael Rosenthal (Danni) of Littleton, Colorado, her daughter, Wendy J. Rosenthal of Salinas, California, four grandsons she deeply cherished, and a niece and nephew.

Bobbe's family extends heartfelt gratitude to compassionate caregivers and Rabbi Rick Brody of The Baskin Jewish Community Chaplaincy program in Denver. We appreciate the time, energy, and loving attention given to our mom and bubbe to help make the end of her life on earth as comfortable and peaceful as possible. Great appreciation also goes to Feldman Mortuary in Denver and Groman Eden Mortuary in Los Angeles for their respectful care while preparing for a traditional Jewish burial, and Rabbi Sara Abrams for her deep listening and loving kindness in preparation for the memorial service and burial.

A graveside service took place Monday, September 8, at Eden Memorial Park in Mission Hills, California. In lieu of flowers, donations in Bobbe’s memory may be made to the Arthritis Foundation.

Bobbe will be deeply missed and forever remembered.