Rhoda Swerlick's Obituary
Rhoda Swerlick died on Thursday, April 21, 2022, at Oak Hammock in Gainesville, Florida. Rhoda was born on July 20, 1925, with her identical twin sister Lorraine, in Brooklyn New York to Ben and Sadie Weinman. She attended Brooklyn College where she obtained her BA in 1949, and a Masters in Education in 1951. She married Dr. Isadore “Ed” Swerlick in 1951, relocating to Buffalo New York, where they would spend nearly the next 20 years, raising their two children Anne and Robert Swerlick. Rhoda was on the vanguard of the movement of professional women and their entry into the workforce, all while raising children and caring for her husband. She taught kindergarten in New York City initially followed by a decade of work in suburban Buffalo.
Rhoda’s husband’s work for DuPont pulled them away from upstate New York, first to Richmond Virginia in 1970, followed by a transfer to Wilmington Delaware in 1977. The move to Richmond rekindled her passion for music and singing. Rhoda had extensive opera training as a young woman, with her sister Lorraine singing together as sopranos. In Richmond, she joined the Choir of the Alumni and Friends of the University of Richmond (CAFUR). With the move to Wilmington Delaware, she engaged with Opera Delaware, with involvement in multiple productions including the Mikado.
With Ed’s retirement, they moved to Florida, living first in Bradenton but ultimately moving to Gainesville, Florida, and Oak Hammock, as founding members in 2004. At Oak Hammock, she made wonderful friends and became engaged in a wide range of activities, including playing Scrabble, tending to her garden, and having great discussions with friends about current events. She continued her pursuit of musical engagement, with participation in the Oak Hammock Singers, capturing the attention of UF Music Professors Brenda Smith and Ronald Burricher, with their focus on the older voice. Their wonderful encouragement was inspiring, allowing Rhoda to find her voice in her final decade of her life.
Rhoda was proud of her Jewish roots and traditions, had a big heart, was a cheerleader for the underdog, and had a strong sense of equity and justice. She was known as one who had a sharp sense of fashion (a legend at the local Talbots), and as a petite woman with a big voice.
Her husband of 63 years, Ed Swerlick, predeceased her in 2014. She is survived by her identical twin sister Lorraine Beckenstein, daughter Anne Swerlick and, and son Robert Swerlick. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Hadassah, St. Jude’s Hospital, Florida Policy Institute, Emory University or the charity of your choice.
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