Susan Rubenstein Swartzberg

SUSAN RUBENSTEIN SWARTZBERG Susan Rubenstein Swartzberg, 79, passed away on Thursday September 3, 2020 from terminal cancer.  Susan Rubenstein was born on July 27, 1941 in Chicago, Illinois to parents Sidney and Selma Rubenstein. In Chicago Susans attended high schools Lake View and Von Steuben later she studied at the Art Institute, Chicago, Ohio State University, University of Chicago as well as in both Mexico City and Paris before meeting and marrying Allan Lee Swartzberg and moving to Santa Fe, New Mexico in 1966.  While in Santa Fe they both studied literature at St. John's College. In 1968 Susan gave birth to her only child Joshua Swartzberg. She was a gifted aficionado of many art forms. Susan studied and taught both dance and photography while performing as an actress in local community theaters. In 1976 she and Josh returned to Chicago where she continued to perform in theater and had a few small film roles. In 1980 she moved to Boulder, Colorado where she studied poetry with the famous Allen Ginsburg and then in 1981 returned to Santa Fe where she lived out the rest of her life. Susan remarried briefly with Leonard Wood in 1984. She established Dance Arts Center In Santa Fe where she taught children ballet and where local flamenco legends Vicente Romero and Maria Benitez also taught flamenco workshops. After Dance Arts Center closed Susan studied watercolor painting, sketch drawing and sculpture which she continued to do for decades. During the final years of her life she enjoyed a weekly Shakespeare reading group.Susan Rubenstein Swartzberg is survived by her son Josh, his wife from Spain Regina Rodriguez Pérez, their son Rafael, Susan's brother Howard Rubenstein, his wife Judy and their children Emily, Adam, Jenny and John.Due to Covid 19 there was a closed funeral of only 4 people plus Rabbi Neil of Temple Beth Shalom. The family hopes to hold a memorial service next year.