Connie Schweifler

Connie Lynne Schweifler was a remarkable woman who impacted the lives of many people in profound ways. From clients she represented to family she embraced, Connie put her heart and soul into all that she did. She was a lifelong learner and passed along her love of reading and languages as well as her respect for the environment and human well-being. When she gave of herself, those great and small profited from her wisdom, skill and passion. Connie Lynne was born August 4, 1952 in Grand Haven, Michigan to Anthony and Jean (Van Pelt) Schweifler. The 1950s proved to be a significant decade in U.S. history with the Supreme Court decision to desegregate schools, Rosa Parks refusal to give up her seat on the bus, and the rising prominence of Martin Luther King, Jr. The civil rights movement became a dramatic force in America, jobs for the majority were plentiful, and growing families launched the baby boom era. In the Schweifler family, Connie was the fourth of nine childrenCindy, Ed, Sue, Connie, Jeff, Rob, Tom, Becky and Briansupported by a very busy stay-at-home mother and a father who worked as a machinist. When Connie was in elementary school, the Schweifler family moved a short distance north along Lake Michigan to the downtown area of Muskegon. Connie enjoyed a fairly typical childhood with plenty of fun and playmates, among her siblings. She learned to hold her own, and being very bright, she also spoke her mind to great advantage. Attending Muskegon High School, Connie was on the debate team and represented MHS on televisions High School Quiz Bowl. While in high school, she confronted the school board to change its rules so that girls would be allowed to wear pants. She won, and it wouldnt be the last time she did. Her ability to easily acquire foreign languages served her well in school and beyond. She became fluent in French, which was especially useful when she later toured Europe. After graduating Muskegon Senior High school in 1970, Connie went on to James Madison College at Michigan State University on a Merit Scholarship, then to the University of Detroit Law School and was admitted to the Bar in 1977. After graduation, she clerked for a federal judge in Detroit and assisted in several high profile cases. In 1983, Connie joined a firm with offices in Arizona and SanFrancisco and settled in Phoenix, Arizona. In Phoenix, Connie was part of a specialized team that represented her firms clients in complex, long-term litigation. One major class action suit against the cement and concrete industry took many years to complete and went all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. When it was over, Connie had earned her rest and spent time traveling throughout Australia, New Zeeland and Bali. Connie was a very giving, conscientious person. Concerned about the environment and her own carbon footprint on the earth, she never drove or owned a car but instead walked or relied on public transportation. Throughout her career, she performed extensive pro bono work, assisting those who were homeless and in end-of-life planning within the HIV-positive community. It was her compassion and conviction to offer proper legal representation equally to those who could pay and those who could not. In 1997 Connies health did not allow her to live alone. Although fiercely independent, she moved back to Muskegon to live with her mother and sister. She wanted to be close to her family and to be part of the lives of the family's next generation. She enjoyed such simple pleasures as baking for special occasions, organizing family gatherings and the more weighty opportunities to mentor her nieces and nephews. Watching and caring for them allowed Connie the chance to instill in them the importance of education and reading and to inspire them with her love of art, literature and fine cuisine. She shared a interest in science, history, and technology with her nephew Chazz and brother Brian. She also spent time with nephews Joshua and Tony, who lived in the same household; encouraging them in their educational process. When her great nieces and nephew came into the family, Connie expanded her mission to teach the youngest ones to love reading and art. Connie suffered from PND (Araproteinaemic Demyelinating Neuropathy), which affected her nerve endings, at times causing terrible and debilitating pain and migraine headaches. She kept her life full and did not allow illness to dictate the way she conducted her life. Connie unexpectedly but peacefully passed away in her sleep at home on Friday, August 30, 2013. She will be greatly missed and deeply cherished by the family she adored and the people she served. Miss Connie L. Schweifler, age 61 of Muskegon, Michigan, is survived by her mother, Jean Schweifler of Muskegon; siblings, Cindy Stone of Muskegon, Edward Schweifler of Lansing, Susan (Charlie) Stark of Muskegon, Jeffrey (Kim Varadi) Schweifler of Lansing, Robert (Diana) Schweifler of Muskegon, Rebecca (Jeff) Tiemeyer of Grand Rapids, Brian Schweifler of Muskegon; nieces and nephews, Jessie and Sonja Schweifler, Anthony (Daina) Stone, Charles A. Stark, Joshua Schweifler, Tracy, Matthew and Nathan Tiemeyer; great nieces McKenna, Kyleigh and Josephine Stone and great nephew, Landon Schweifler. She was preceded in death by her niece Melissa Stone, father, and brother, Thomas. A service to celebrate Connies life will be held Saturday, September 7, 2013, 10:00 AM at the Clock Chapel Muskegon, Michigan. Memorial gifts to Noah Project or Pound Buddies are greatly appreciated. Please visit www.clockfuneralhome.com to leave a memory or sign the online guest book. Clock Funeral Home