Obituaries

Debbra Wood Schwartz, violinist, teacher, mentor, avid storyteller and Crusader for the Arts, passed away much too soon at the age of 73 on July 31, 2020. After a short illness resulting from an unlucky turn of events, she died at home surrounded by her family. She was comfortable and remained her indomitable self until the end.

A longtime resident of both Oakland and Berkeley, Debbra touched so many lives due to her interests, involvement, and generosity; and was a loving and exceedingly generous friend to many. She would often be seen zipping around in her convertible, equally likely to be en route to a board meeting, to judge a local music competition, or (with her adorable and completely spoiled long-haired Chihuahua, Nico, in tow) to a nearby coffee shop — one of her favorite ways to while away the hours. 

Despite previously being a native of Chicago, she would feel chilled when the temperature dropped below 60, so when the Bay Area fog rolled in, she’d venture to Contra Costa County for a reliable dose of sunshine. She also loved Half Moon Bay and was known to escape there for the weekend at the drop of a hat. In the worst part of the winter, she’d often alight to Mexico, or more recently to Hawaii, where she and Nico would spend hours, in the shade of course, sitting at coffee houses along the beach. 

Debbra (or Deb, but never Debbie!) was born in Toledo, Ohio. She was the oldest of the five children of Ben Fred and Margaret Fern Wood, and she grew up in Wheaton, Illinois. Though small in stature, her presence could never be ignored. She always charted her own path and was fiercely self-reliant. This tenacity is best represented by the genesis of her lifelong dedication to music: after begging her parents for years to start violin lessons, she was finally allowed to do so at the age of 16 (very late to be a beginner). Shortly thereafter, she was admitted to Roosevelt University, where she studied with Morris Gomberg and where she earned a Bachelor’s degree in Violin Performance. She played professionally at that time as well — with the Lyric Opera of Chicago and the University of Chicago Chamber Players, as well as touring and performing freelance work with Sammy Davis, the Temptations, Tony Bennett, Frank Sinatra, and Marlene Dietrich, among others. Unsurprisingly, her stories from these years were an endless source of entertainment for anyone who would listen. 

Starting in 1971, Debbra taught violin at the Chicago Musical College at Roosevelt University, first as lecturer but eventually serving as Assistant Professor, Chair of String Instruments Department, Chair of Faculty Council of the Music School, and Head of Tenure Review. She spoke with great fondness of teaching in Chicago, and many of these students remained her lifelong friends. 

In 1979 Debbra began a new chapter in her already adventurous life. She moved to California, earned a Doctor of Jurisprudence degree from Hastings College of the Law, and in 1983 married Robert Alexander David Schwartz (1925-2017) — also from Chicago. She worked as an accountant at Coopers & Lybrand, preparing tax returns for many corporate and partnership clients, including for the Oakland City Center properties. She also performed as a violinist with the Oakland East Bay Symphony and various other Bay Area orchestras. 

Over the next 37 years, Debbra built a flourishing private violin studio. Her son Noah was among these students, and, like so many others before and since, he credits her for instilling in him a lifelong passion for music. With her great friend (and legendary Bay Area cello teacher) the late Milly Rosner, Debbra founded Summer Music Berkeley, a chamber music camp for string players which took place at the Crowden School. She also taught chamber music and violin in San Domenico School’s acclaimed Virtuoso Program. Throughout her life, she performed and taught all over the US and overseas, most notably Costa Rica, Japan, the Czech Republic, and Switzerland. Debbra also passionately supported and/or served on the boards of many Bay Area musical organizations, including the Crowden School, the Oakland East Bay Symphony, the Oakland Youth Orchestra, and the Virtuoso Program. 

Debbra always looked forward to the innovative and exciting programs that her dear and longtime friend Michael Morgan would present with the Oakland East Bay Symphony. Her musical tastes weren’t limited to Classical; she was a proud supporter of her late husband’s jazz band The Therapists, even after he passed away, and always enjoyed live music at Yoshi's. 

However, perhaps her favorite musical events were the ones where she was able to see her daughter perform. She would travel as often as she could for these performances, including to Bellingham, Washington, where she became a “regular” for the three weeks of their Music Festival, and where she developed some of her most treasured friendships. 

Debbra particularly relished her trips to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where she loved performances of Margot’s piano trio (the Prometheus Trio). Never satisfied being relegated to the role of mere “audience member”, she was invited to perform on Margot’s duo recital in the spring of 2018 — a very special and memorable event for all. 

These regular trips to Wisconsin afforded her the invaluable opportunity to see her son Noah in Chicago. More recently, the added delight of her beloved new grandson Elah was there as well. She always loved Chicago, visiting her old haunts and reminiscing about her many years as a musician there. Of course it was not lost on her that both of her children, exceedingly proud of them though she may have been, ended up in (or near) the very city that she and their father had decided to leave all those years ago. 

Debbra’s interests were certainly not limited to music. She had a love of theater, especially at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival (indeed, Ashland was always a favorite vacation spot for the Schwartz family) and the California Shakespeare Festival. As of this writing, we only are aware of one instance of her walking out of a theatrical performance at intermission. Debbra’s love of law was ongoing and true; it was not uncommon for her to spend free time at her local traffic court, just to see how things would shake out. She also intently followed the proceedings of the Supreme Court, eager to hear what kinds of arguments would be pursued in each case. 

Though she was a woman of strong convictions, Debbra was unfailingly open-minded and encouraging of her children’s various interests and endeavors. Likewise, she often claimed she was an introvert but she loved going to events and gatherings, and she inevitably ended up the life of the party. She was so well-read and -informed, she could engage anyone she met in conversation, or, at the very least, regale them with a story or five. 

Debbra firmly believed in the importance of being an engaged American citizen, and participated as a poll watcher in both Florida and Ohio in recent elections where she used her legal knowledge to protect voters from any “funny business”. Additionally, she was a self-avowed political junkie, religiously keeping up with Rachel Maddow and Nicole Wallace — even in her final days. She followed local politics closely, feeling special pride for Oakland’s current mayor Libby Schaaf. To Debbra, Libby was not just the mayor, but the daughter of an old friend of hers, one with whom Debbra loved to walk around Oakland’s beautiful Lake Merritt on Friday mornings when she was in town. 

Debbra is survived by her father Ben (age 100), sisters Jennifer (Bill Lange) and Wendi (Tim Wilson), brothers Jeffrey and Brandon (Sarah), children Margot (Robert Klieger) and Noah (Erica Bland), grandson Elah (19 months), along with a large and loving extended family. 

Memorial to be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to the American Civil Liberties Union.