Deborah Swartz

DEBORAH ROCHELLE SWARTZ

Fairfield

Deborah Rochelle Swartz, 33, passed away peacefully

in her sleep at her home in Fairfield on June 4, 2020. She struggled with cancer for two years, staying present and fearless even when facing neuropathy and immobility. Even in her illness, she continued to have a healing influence on those around her.

She was born in Fairfield to Fred and Janet Swartz and attended Maharishi School. At Wheaton College in Massachusetts, she studied cultural anthropology, ethnomusicology and world literature. After two years, she continued her studies at Prescott College, designing her own independent study program which included travel to Hawaii, New Zealand, Peru and Native American reservations in the Southwest.

After graduation, she lived in Kauai, Hawaii, for six years and most recently lived in Portland, Ore., where she had completed her master's degree in ecological law at Lewis & Clark University and a master's degree in intercultural communication at the University of the Pacific. After graduation, she worked on projects for the Columbia River Valley Intertribal Fish Commission.

Her beauty, grace, intelligence, profound spiritual presence, healing gifts and boundless love were appreciated by all who knew her. She was preceded in death by her maternal grandparents, Edward and Francis Aaron of Asheville, N.C.; her paternal grandparents, Phillip and Dorothy Swartz of Newton, Mass.; and her brother, Daniel Swartz.

A Celebration of her Life will be held from 2 to 4 p.m. Saturday, June 13, at Cider House 1949 on Pleasant Plain Road in Fairfield. The event will also be livestreamed on Zoom for those keeping social distance and for those out of town.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Deborah Swartz Memorial Fund and mailed to 200 W. Washington Ave., Fairfield, IA 52556.