Shorewood Trustee Celine Schwartz Dies at 64

Village officials and residents will bid farewell Monday to longtime trustee Celine "Cene" Schwartz, who died of an undisclosed illness Thursday at age 64.

Schwartz, who is survived by her husband of 44 years, Robert F. Schwartz Jr., served on the village board for 22 years after being appointed to the board in 1990. She was first elected in 1991, and after losing her seat eight years later, was re-elected in 2003. 

Schwartz, a Shorewood resident since 1970, also served as chair of Shorewood Parks and Recreation.

According to her obituary, Schwartz served on the Shorewood Planning and Zoning Commission, was a charter member of Shorewood C.O.P.S., co-chair of the Shorewood Citizens Advisory Committee, member of Shorewood Ladies of the Lions and past president and member of Troy Volunteer Fire Department Ladies Auxiliary for more than 20 years.

She was born in Joliet to the late Norman and Marjorie (Ward) Solley and graduated from Lockport Township High School and Joliet Junior College.

Schwartz worked as a dog groomer and was the longtime owner of Cene's Golden Leash in the Shorewood Shopping Plaza. 

In addition to her husband, the late trustee is survived by two sisters, Karen (Jerry) Bozych of Morris and Mary Lou Arnold of Lockport; sister-in-law of Jyme (Thomas) Hurley of Shorewood and Steven (Tammy) Schwartz of Shorewood; dear aunt of Bart (Wendy) Bozych, Kelly (Lou) Haussman, Thomas (Christy) Hurley, Kevin (Amanda) Hurley, Carissa (Shawn) Garland and Chad Schwartz; great-aunt of Brooke, Brandon, Jackson, Ava, Louie, Hayden, Owen and Mason. 

She was preceded in death by her infant son, Brett Eric Schwartz (1974) and infant daughter, Bretta Lynn Schwartz (1978).

Bob Schwartz has asked Shorewood Mayor Rick Chapman, to write a few verses of poetry to honor her, according to the Shorewood Sentinel. The mayor will read the lines at Schwartz' funeral on Monday.

Chapman told the paper he's pushing for renaming Four Seasons Park in honor of the longtime parks and recreation committee chairwoman. He said she led the effort to get the 45-acre former farmland converted into a park.

Friends and relatives are invited to a Mass of Christian burial at 11 a.m. Monday, March 31, at Holy Family Catholic Church, 600 Brook Forest Ave. There will be no visitation.