Elizabeth Ann Reule Schweinler passed away on October 1 at the age of 90, after a long and happy life.
Elizabeth was born on July 4, 1934 to Reverend George and Florence (Sahnow) Reule in Hillsboro, Oregon, the youngest of three, after her sister Kathryn and her brother Ronald. Florence was the eldest of 11 children and Mimi, as they called Elizabeth, grew up with an abundance of cousins, aunts and uncles, as well as her dearest childhood friend, Loretta Madsen Smith.
After graduating from Hillsboro High School, Elizabeth followed her sister and brother to Pacific Lutheran University; there, she met her roommate Diane McConnell who became her cherished lifelong friend.
In the winter of her senior year, Elizabeth met David Schweinler on a blind date; six months later, after Elizabeth graduated with a teaching degree, she and Dave were married in Hillsboro on July 20, 1956. Dave had just graduated from law school and was about to serve in the U.S. Air Force, so he and Elizabeth lived in Tacoma for six months where she taught school, after which they went to March Air Force Base in California, and a year later to Brize Norton Air Force Base in Burford, England, where Elizabeth taught school until their first child, Ann Elise, was born in 1959.
Elizabeth loved England, and those years gave the young couple their first taste of European travel. In 1977, she returned to England for a short trip with Ann to revisit the Cotswolds where Ann was born.
In 1960, Elizabeth and Dave moved back to Tacoma and civilian life. Their first son, David Andrew, was born in 1960, and their youngest son, Roger Colin, came along in 1962. The Tacoma years were full of child-raising and teaching Sunday School. Elizabeth also maintained a busy social life as an active member of the Tacoma Junior League and the Tacoma Rose Society, and was an avid tennis player at the Tacoma Lawn Tennis Club, playing regularly and competing in both singles and doubles.
In 1970, Dave and Elizabeth built a cabin on Vashon Island where the family spent each summer; it was a wonderful gift to their children, who grew up swimming, boating, fishing, crabbing, and sleeping out under the stars on the big deck (when it didn’t rain). Elizabeth was an excellent cook and baker, and generously hosted lovely dinner parties and BBQs at their home in Tacoma and at the cabin.
In 1987, Elizabeth and Dave remodeled their cabin into a gracious home and moved out to Vashon permanently. Elizabeth named their home Still Waters, taken from Psalm 23, her favorite verse. Dave continued working and Elizabeth turned her focus to gardening, especially the mastering of roses for which she became known as The Rose Lady. She and her neighbor, dear friend Roberta Brasier, enjoyed trips to local nurseries to buy flats of flowers.
Elizabeth was also an artist: although she no longer painted, she expressed herself artistically through the skillful arrangement of her garden and the flowers she grew, through her eye for interior design and decoration, her flair for fashion, her ability to find and restore antique furniture, her beautiful embroidery and needlework. She loved the birdlife on Vashon and took many photographs of the geese and eagles. She also loved newspapers, magazines, and reading biographies.
In her 50s, she surprised everyone by deciding to learn to swim. She and Dave traveled to Europe several times, and spent a month on Oahu every January. The Vashon years were filled with the joy of grandchildren, several trips to Europe, winter months on Oahu, and a succession of beloved dogs.
In their 80s, Elizabeth and Dave moved back to Tacoma, to a lovely condo on the waterfront, closer to Roger’s family and their son Dave. The last few years presented Elizabeth with increasing health challenges, but she weathered this with grace, finding solace in attending Zion Lutheran Church and in her friends there, especially Anna Marie Wagner.
She loved watching the boat activity on the bay each day, loved a good cup of coffee, a walk with her son Dave, visits from her children and grandchildren, phone calls with dear friends, and simply watching all the young people and children on the promenade in front of their condo. She counted her blessings.
On the day she passed away, Elizabeth was surrounded by her entire family; she was able to talk a little with each of them and found great comfort in sharing a prayer and taking communion as a family. Her passing was gentle and peaceful, with loved ones holding her hands. We will miss her greatly.
Elizabeth is survived by her husband Dave; her children Ann Moore (Rick), David Schweinler, Roger Schweinler (Raquel); grandchildren Nigel Moore, Grace Moore Magen (Noah), Sarah Schweinler, Sophia Schweinler, Colin Schweinler, and by her brother, Dr. Ronald Reule (Carol).
A funeral service will be held Saturday Oct. 12, 2024, 11:00 a.m. at Zion Lutheran Church in Tacoma. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Elizabeth’s name to Zion Lutheran Church.
July 4, 1934 – October 1, 2024
