Florence Schwartz

Florence Greenstein Schwartz (Kohn), 97, of Hilton Head, S.C., formerly of Union and Short Hills, died June 26, 2018. She was raised in South Orange and also lived in Chicago during the late 20s and early 30s, returning to South Orange in 1932.

Mrs. Schwartz graduated from Columbia High School, Maplewood, in 1938. She worked at Bamberger’s, Newark, and in 1942, met and married Jacob Greenstein. The Greenstein family lived in Union from the 1940s, where she raised her children.

She was active as a Girl Scouts and Cub Scouts leader, in the PTA, Hadassah, and League of Women Voters, and was trustee of Union Senior Citizen Housing Corporations. Later she worked in the family business, Union Paint & Hardware Co., which later changed its name to Home Beautiful when she urged the business to start adding housewares and gifts. The business was sold upon her husband’s death.

In 2014, she moved to Hilton Head Island. Together with her daughter and granddaughter they formed a family compound, all residing in, houses next door and across the street from one another in Sea Pines Plantation. She was a member of the HHI Senior Citizens and a partner in several HHI duplicate bridge groups.

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Predeceased by her husband, Jacob “Jack” Greenstein, in 1980; her former husband, Sidney Schwartz; her son-in-law, Ronald Proudman; and step-grandson, Ronald Proudman, she is survived by her son, Richard (Irene) Greenstein of Westfield; her daughter, Marjorie Proudman of Hilton Head Island; five grandchildren; three step-grandchildren; nine great-grandchildren; nine step-great-grandchildren; and two step-great-great-grandchildren.

Services were held July 1 with arrangements by Menorah Chapels at Millburn, Union. Memorial contributions may be made to Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation-JDRF (teamari.net); Hospice Care of the Low Country (hospicecarelc.org/donate); or glioblastoma research (glioblastomafoundation.org).