Irene Marcus Schwartz, 77, formerly of Butler, died at 3:30 p.m. Dec. 26, at her home in Tucson, Ariz.

Raised in Butler, she was the daughter of Ralph and Rebecca Marcus.

She was the wife of the late Herbert L. Schwartz, to whom she was married for 56 years.Together, they were the proprietors of Ralph's Shoes on Main Street for nearly 30 years.

A 1945 graduate of Butler HighSchool, she also graduated from the University of Pittsburgh in 1949, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in biology.

Mrs. Schwartz was a member of the B'nai Abraham Congregation, and a past president of the local Sisterhood-Hadassah chapter. She was also leader of the Butler Hospital Women's Auxiliary.

Among her interests were cross stitching, playing bridge, Mah-Jongg and tennis. She also enjoyed solving crossword puzzles and surfing the World Wide Web. She taught yoga at the YWCA and was an avid antique collector.

She was the loving mother of four daughters, Rhonda D'Antonio of Tuscon, Carol Schwartz, wife of Ed Irish, of Williamsburg, Va., Gayle Schwartz of Richmond, Va., and Eve Solow, wife of Lee Solow, of Lawrenceville, N.J. She was also the grandmother of Allyson and Gerrit Irish and Robert and Joshua Solow; and the aunt of a number of nieces and nephews.

<B>Schwartz</B> — Funeral services for Irene Marcus Schwartz, who died Tuesday, Dec. 26, 2006, were held Dec. 28 at Evergreen Cemetery in Tucson.Memorial donations can be made to the American Cancer Society, or the charity of the donor's choice.