Over a long career as a real estate developer in Connecticut, Sy Schwartz consistently employed imaginative strategies to preserve the natural environment even as he built upon it. He was a visionary builder, using conservation zoning before it was popular, understanding how to work with challenging topography, and exploring and implementing alternative energy sources long before the mass realization of global warming. He maintained a genuine concern for the middle income dweller along with a passionate commitment to build residential and commercial structures that work with the land despite their higher cost of production. These achievements contributed to both his financial success and the respect and admiration he is given by conservationists and developers alike.

Sy consistently explored ideas and approached challenges with a mixture of creativity and practicality. His insistence on pursuing goals within the context of what is do-able (“the unfortunate reality”) didn’t restrict his vision but instead enabled him to achieve greater success in his endeavors.

Sybil Schwartz was an educator, serving as Director of Admissions first at Walden School and later at Calhoun School, both in New York City. She was enthusiastic about good food, travel, and especially all kinds of music. She was the center of her extended family and a grandmother extraordinaire.

Sybil had an instinctive empathy with the underdog and was always ready to champion the rights of the overlooked. In her role as Admissions Director she was known as an advocate for the child needing a second chance, for the hardworking family needing financial aid, and for the student who, given the right environment, would surely rise to his or her potential. She worked with Prep for Prep, an organization identifying promising students of color and preparing them for admission to independent schools. She believed passionately in efforts to level the playing field.

The Common Sense Fund’s mission serves to honor both Sybil and Sy.