Obituary of Elisabeth Schalk

Elisabeth B. Schalk, a Poughkeepsie resident since 1968, 70, died April 13, 2012, at the Lutheran Care Center after a long illness. Elisabeth began her professional career as a very young teacher at St. Mary Hall, a girl's school in San Antonio, Texas. That interlude away from the East Coast marked her significantly, in that her dedication to education, to the welfare of children, and to feminism was lifelong. After a brief interruption when her children were young, she resumed her career, holding a number of positions at Vassar College until 1988, when she began to work in Manhattan. Prior to her retirement in 2003, Elisabeth held senior management positions in several not for profit organizations. While she always enjoyed her work, and was extremely successful in raising funds for charitable causes, she said that job she loved the most was her five years as Director of Education at the U. S. Committee for UNICEF. Elisabeth was born April 30, 1941, in Holyoke, Massachusetts, the daughter of the late Robert E. and Edeltraut P. Barrett. On February 1, 1964, in South Hadley, Massachusetts, she married David L. Schalk, who survives. In addition to her husband, Elisabeth is survived by her daughter Laura and her companion Sam Ngueya, of Paris France; son Peter, his wife Martha, and grandson Theo, of Manhattan. Also her sister Ingrid McDonough of Dedham, Mass., her brother Robert E. Barrett, III, of South Hadley, Mass., and their families. In 1959, Elisabeth graduated from the Northampton School for Girls, where she was elected to the Cum Laude Society. She received her A. B. Degree in History from Vassar in 1963, and an Ed.M. with Honors from Tufts University in 1966. She continued her education after her own children went to college, and in 1987 received an MBA from the Pace University MBA for Executives Program. Her family shared her pride in her election to Delta Mu Delta, the National Honor Society for Business Administration. Elisabeth gave of herself unsparingly to many volunteer causes. It was a great pleasure for her to return to her undergraduate alma mater to serve for two years on the Board of Directors of the AAVC (Alumnae and Alumni of Vassar College). She loved her work for "Chess-in-the-Schools," a nonprofit educational organization dedicated to improving academic performance and building self-esteem among inner-city public school children. Elisabeth was a gracious hostess, brilliant cook, and a dedicated gardener, with an almost magical green thumb. She was an accomplished choral singer, an avid concert-goer, with a true passion for classical music. Simultaneously she was a "gym rat," and until illness intervened, kept herself in superb physical condition. She would regale her family with stories of the eccentric characters she met while exercising in New York gymnasiums. Elisabeth was also an inveterate and courageous traveler, both for her work and on holiday. She criss-crossed the United States, from Seattle to Los Angeles, from New Orleans to Savannah, for professional meetings. She visited many European countries, and lived seven months in France, where her daughter was born. She traveled to Hong Kong and to China, and to South Africa just after the end of apartheid. She went with a UNICEF delegation to Guatemala and Nicaragua, when civil strive had not fully ended. Her group was nearly kidnapped by a militia of unknown affiliation. In her life she managed to bridge an intense love of family with global concerns. She was an ardent feminist, a pacifist, antiracist, and a strong supporter of the rights of children. One of her deepest regrets was that she did not live to see her country adopt the International Convention of the Rights of the Child. Beyond her family, legions of friends will miss her profoundly. Among them are devout practitioners of all the world's major religions, and ardent secularists. She loved them all and that love was reciprocated. Arrangements are under the direction of the Timothy P. Doyle Funeral Home, Inc., 371 Hooker Avenue, Poughkeepsie. There will be no calling hours. After cremation, her ashes will be buried at the convenience of the family. Memorial Donations may be made to: Alzheimer's Association, 2 Jefferson Plaza, Suite 103, Poughkeepsie, NY 12601.