Deceased June 18, 2023
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IN MEMORY
Stephen Schwartz died on June 18, 2023, at the age of 86 in West Palm Beach, Fla.
Steve came to Amherst from Flushing, N.Y. He pledged Phi Alpha Psi fraternity, majored in chemistry and biology, played squash and track, and played in the band.
After graduation, Steve went to NYU dental school, commuting by subway at 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. He then entered private practice with his father and later started a second practice in the suburbs. He continued his dental studies, was on the staff of Queens Hospital and was a charter member of the Queens Chapter of the Academy of General Dentistry. In later years, Steve wrote that his Amherst education influenced his practice of dentistry by developing sensitivity, enabling him to “see the person behind the tooth.”
Steve married Doris Fechter of Maryland, a Holocaust survivor, in December 1959. They had two children, Jeffrey ’83 in 1961 and Beverly in 1963, both of whom are now married, with successful children of their own.
After practicing dentistry for 39 years, Steve retired and moved to Florida in 2002. “Life became very social,” he wrote, and he and Dora enjoyed travel. However, he continued his involvement in his synagogue and community service, including with the Lions International, the Exchange Club, the Jewish Federation and the community library, among other organizations. “My dental school education prepared me to make a living, but my Amherst education prepared me to live a life,” he wrote in our 60th class yearbook.
Ned Megargee ’58