Mare Schwartz, age 73, passed away peacefully on Saturday, February 28th in her home in Guilford, Connecticut, surrounded by family and loved ones. Born Enel-Mare Kann, on September 14th, 1941, to Ants Kann and Lydia Koern, in Tallinn, Estonia, Mare fled Estonia with her mother and younger brother, Ants, during WWII. Mare spent her childhood and early years in Kristianstad, Sweden. In the late ‘50s, she attended the Glasgow School of Art before marrying photographer Joseph Covello and moving to New York City where she raised her two children, Michael and Patricia, and also enjoyed a career modeling for many print advertisements. In 1975, Mare was remarried to Neil Schwartz and spent many years in Coconut Grove, Florida, before settling down in Pawling, New York, where she had another daughter, Natasha, and lived for twenty years. Mare lived for fifteen years in the little pink cottage above the bend of the Ten Mile River in Wingdale before moving to Guilford, Connecticut.
Throughout her life, Mare loved reading, music, and the natural world. She filled her home with books and passed on many to friends and family. She loved to go on nature walks and could name hundreds of plants by their Swedish, English, and Latin names. Her home was filled with music, from George Bizet to Janis Joplin. She created beautiful flower gardens and instilled a love of gardening in both of her daughters. Mare always had a natural ease with animals and cared for many, including goats, chickens, her beloved cats and especially her much-loved dachshunds, Rosie and Nellie. She was a woman of great beauty.
Mare is survived by her daughter Patricia (Covello) Van de Bovenkamp and her husband Eric of Guilford, Connecticut, her daughter Natasha (Schwartz) Panzer and her husband Justin of Pawling, New York, her daughter-in-law Joan Martin of Yardley, Pennsylvania and her husband Dan, six lovely grandchildren, Tor Covello, Kara Covello, Nico Van de Bovenkamp, Derek Van de Bovenkamp, Sofia Panzer and Emmett Panzer, her brother Ants Kann and his wife Anna of Helsingborg, Sweden, and her nieces Victoria, Amanda and Sophie.
Mare was predeceased by her son, Michael Covello, of Yardley, Pennsylvania, her brother Kristian Waltenberg, and her sister, Lilith Waltenberg.
There will be no service at this time. The family will hold a private memorial during the summer to honor Mare’s memory.
The family would like to thank both Jenny McCobb and Maria Surowaniec for their incredible dedication and compassion in Mare’s final days.
To send the family online condolences, please visit www.hawleylincolnmemorial.com
