January 15, 2019

Estelle Shwiff

Estelle Shwiff was born on May 18, 1923. She and her husband Sonny, whom she described as a delightful person who joined their two families together, raised four children: sons Seth, Ron, and Mitchell, and daughter Jody, along with Deborah Shwiff, whom she counted as part of the family. She spoke lovingly of her six grandchildren, Scott, Meredith, Ari, Jake, Alexa, and Logan, and her great-grandchildren Gavin, Riley, and Olivia. Some of her children were named after respected relatives to perpetuate their names, while others reflected a musical blending of first and last names.

In Dallas, Estelle built a life around family togetherness, playing tennis, visiting art galleries, attending school sports and activities, and enjoying flea markets and estate sales. Her children were bar mitzvahed at Shearith Israel, and she described the family's religious life as moderate. She instilled in her children the values of respect, family, integrity, and helping those in need, and she expressed deep pride in the supportive adults they became. She recalled the social changes of the 1960s, including the Kennedy and Martin Luther King assassinations, segregation signs, and the civil rights struggles that shaped her family's values.

Professionally, Estelle began with volunteer work, teaching young children at the JCC and directing youth plays there. She undertook the pioneering work of teaching children with autism in the 1950s and 1960s, when little was understood about the condition, and wrote three volumes of everyday activities, taking pride in how the field later grew nationally. Familiar with sign language, she served as an interpreter for the hearing impaired and studied at SMU with hopes of aiding them through law. She and Sonny bought the Florence Art Gallery, which she ran for 25 years, hosting notable artists and welcoming figures such as Van Johnson. She was also president of a local civic organization and a member of an investment club.

Read Full Transcript