Lasting Memories

Sita de Leeuw
Dec. 12, 1928-May 18, 2015
Stanford, California

Educator, devoted mother, friend and Holocaust survivor, Sita de Leeuw passed away peacefully in Palo Alto on May 18, 2015, at the age of 86. Sita had been under the care of hospice, as well as several close family members and friends, for acute myeloid leukemia.

Born Margaret Ingeburg Schwarz on Dec, 12, 1928, at Nuremberg, Germany, Sita and her family began their long escape from Nazi Germany when she was only 12 years old. The Schwarz family, while originally from Nuremberg, initially moved to Prague in 1939 until Germany occupied Austria. The family then returned briefly to Leipzig before seeking refuge in London, England, via airplane. Although the Schwarz' status in England was technically illegal, Sita was placed, along with her sister Joan, to live with a family in the English countryside. After a brief reunion, the Schwarz family was then able to escape to the United States, after a long and difficult ocean voyage.

Although they landed at Ellis Island, they shortly moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma, before finally settling with family members in Chicago, Illinois. Sita attended Roosevelt College in Chicago and while there met Karel de Leeuw, a rising young mathematician at the University of Chicago. They were married on June 19, 1951. Thus began their academic career together as Karel received appointments to teach at Princeton and Dartmouth before accepting a tenure-track position at Stanford.

Sita found her passion in teaching and inspiring children, especially in deprived or challenging neighborhoods. After earning her master's degree in early childhood education at the College of Notre Dame in 1966, as well as certification as a Montessori instructor, Sita started teaching at the Montessori School in East Palo Alto and soon thereafter was appointed director.

The de Leeuws enjoyed many years of teaching, raising their family, traveling and accepting temporary academic assignments at other universities around the world. Tragedy struck, however, in August of 1978, when Karel was murdered at his office by a deranged graduate student in the mathematics program. Following a long and challenging criminal trial, the family slowly began to piece their lives together again while continuing to live on the Stanford campus.

Fortunately, George Heaton, an engineer and good friend, increasingly became part of Sita's life after 1979. To a great extent, Sita and George's spiritual interests grew stronger and deeper over the years, with involvement in various activities including the Palo Alto Quaker community and Adyashanti. Through it all, Sita retained her primary identification with her Jewish heritage and background.

Sita will be long remembered for her tremendous devotion to her family; her many dedicated and warm friendships; her strong ties to the spiritual community; and her great affection for her extensive gardens and many pets over the years. No one fortunate enough to have witnessed them will ever be able to forget Sita's infectious laugh or the exuberance of her free-form dancing and always joyful singing. She has passed on her great love of family, the close camaraderie of dear friends, her ever inquiring spiritual interests, and her adoration of Nature and the great outdoors.

Sita will be dearly missed by her longtime companion George Heaton; her children, Leslie de Leeuw, Becky Iremonger, Eric de Leeuw and their spouses; her five grandchildren; four nephews; brother-in-law, Mark de Leeuw; and her many other extended family members and close friends.