F. Eleanor "Lee" Swartz
August 9, 1927 – December 7, 2022

F. Eleanor "Lee" Swartz passed away peacefully at Mid-Hudson Regional Hospital in Poughkeepsie, NY on Wednesday, December 7, 2022. Born on August 9, 1927, in Honolulu, Hawaii, she was the daughter of the Rev. Dr. Philip Allen and Lillian Gleason Swartz. Lee graduated from Poughkeepsie High School in 1945, & from SUNY Cortland in 1951. She went on to a long, successful career in administrative positions at IBM from 1952 – 1992, culminating as a coordinator in the IBM educational department.
A long-time resident of both Poughkeepsie and Candlewood Knolls in New Fairfield, CT, Lee was known for her extensive volunteer work, serving on boards and committees for the First Congregational Church (where she sang in the choir and where her father was senior minister for many years), Interfaith Towers, Meals on Wheels, the Junior League, Habitat for Humanity and P.E.O. International, a philanthropic organization dedicated to the education and advancement of women. She also enjoyed the fellowship of Coterie and her Tuesday Prayer Group.
Known to many family members and friends as Auntie Lee, she was an avid lover of animals and nature, and enjoyed concerts, traveling, boating, swimming, and water-skiing. She was always known for her supportive and positive attitude, her sense of humor and ready smile.
Lee was predeceased by her parents; her brothers, William Allen Swartz, Sr., and Philip Gleason Swartz; and her nephew, David T. Swartz. She is survived by her brother, Guthrie Reed Swartz, of Ashland, Oregon and 10 nieces and nephews and their families.
A memorial service is being planned for Saturday, January 21 at 1:30 PM at the First Congregational Church United Church of Christ, 269 Mill St., Poughkeepsie, NY 12601. The service will be livestreamed. To get access instructions email mks427@hotmail.com. A family commemoration of Auntie Lee's life will be held at Candlewood Lake this summer. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the First Congregational Church (Poughkeepsie), the Vassar-Warner Home, 52 South Hamilton St., Poughkeepsie, NY 12601, or to a charity of one's choice.