Obituary of Florence Schachter

Florence Schachter passed away peacefully at her home in Watsonville on September 5th at the age of 90. She was born in Brooklyn, New York, the tenth and last child of Rose and Mayer Emmer. Following graduation from Tilden High School, Florence took a job at a bank, where the jobs were plentiful while many of the men were off at war. She relinquished that post at the end of the war to make room for the men coming home and needing jobs. She continued to work in bookkeeping positions until becoming a mother. Florence met her husband, Bill, in the Berkshire Mountains. They were married in June 1949 and got their first apartment in Brooklyn. They purchased their first home in Flushing, NY, where they lived for 49 years. While Bill worked long hours at his retail businesses, Florence took care of their four children, as well as doing the books for the businesses. When the children were grown, Florence went back to work as a bookkeeper, which she found very rewarding. For many years Florence was an active member of her local chapter of B'nai B'rith Women, later called Jewish Women International, through which she helped raise money and organize events for a battered women's shelter. She also made some of her closest friends through this organization. Anyone who knew Florence knew she took great pride in her family and found her greatest joy in being surrounded by those she loved. She was a hard-working, upbeat person who was very appreciative of her good fortune in life. She deeply missed Bill since his passing three years ago, and enjoyed reminiscing about the wonderful trips they had taken together after raising the children. In 2005 Bill and Florence moved to Capitola to be near their daughter, Nancy, and Florence moved to Watsonville earlier this year. Florence is survived by three sons, Myles, of Lawrence, Kansas, and his wife, Huei-Chi Yang; Jesse, of Port Washington, NY; and Roy, of Oakland; daughter, Nancy Barr, and her husband, Charles Barr Jr., of Aptos; five grandchildren, Jennifer Schachter, Daniel Schachter, David Barr, Amy Barr, and Sarah Stone and her husband, Mark; great-granddaughter Haley Stone; sister Ethel Jones, of Ohio, and many nieces and nephews who adored their Aunt Florence. She also maintained a close connection with her sister-in-law Retta Fagin, of Connecticut. Services and burial were held Monday. Donations in Florence's memory may be made to Cindy's Celebrations, P.O. Box 1637, Capitola, CA 95010; Jewish Women International, 1129 20th Street NW, Suite 801, Washington, DC 20036; or Temple Beth El, 3055 Porter Gulch Road, Aptos, CA 95003. To express your condolences to Florence's family please visit www.pacificgardenschapel.com.