Bette-Faye (BF) Dolgin Schwartz died at the age of 95 in Tamarac, Florida on July 27th, 2024.
Bette-Faye, or known by her loved ones as BF, grew up in Toledo, Ohio. She loved the water and moved to Florida to enjoy the weather, boating, and swimming. She said she would never return to Ohio’s cold weather! She was very artistic as demonstrated by her amazing sculptures and knack for interior decorating. BF was a well-respected interior designer. In Detroit, she decorated Reverend Franklin’s home (father of Aretha Franklin). Her home in Florida was a true testament to her eye for design-each piece of furniture and artwork carefully curated.
BF loved all animals, chocolate, books, and most of all, her family. She had many dogs throughout her lifetime and joked she would become a dog in the afterlife. BF loved to dye Major( her beloved standard poodle) blues, pinks,or purples! She considered her dogs family. She also had a gecko that frequented her sunroom whom she fed raisins. This little guy still visits. Bette-Faye loved a good game of Monopoly, which she taught her grandchildren how to play on their visits to Florida. BF was a strong believer in education and instilled a love of reading in her children and grandchildren, reading to them from a young age. Her home was full of books-from ceiling to floor, and she could easily read an entire book from start to finish in a day.
Fiercely independent and strong-willed, BF lived in her own home until the age of 94. Her love for political humor was evidenced by a refrigerator covered in political cartoons.
Bette-Faye is survived by her loving children: Howard Lebow (Debra) and Laura Lebow Schwartz, grandchildren Alyse Schwartz, Lindsay S. Tesfay (Abel), Louis Lebow, and Matt Trabout (Loretta). She is predeceased by her parents Aaron Dolgin (A.D.), Lara Fishman Dolgin, and Betty Dolgin (Momoo). She is also predeceased by her siblings Louis Dolgin and Shirley Dolgin Levy as well as by her grandson Aaron Lebow.
As an example of BF’s feistiness and sense of humor, included in this obituary is a photo she left for her family to find where she inscribed the words “That’s all Folks” from the Warner Brothers cartoon character Porky Pig as a way to say: “that is all to my story.”
A memorial service will be held at a later date.
Our family would appreciate donations in her name, to an animal rescue of your choosing.