Schewel, Elliot
Dec 17, 2019 Updated 13 hrs ago

Elliot Schewel, devoted husband and father, and dedicated public servant, died peacefully in his sleep on Sunday, December 15, 2019. Mr. Schewel was a true son of Lynchburg. He was born in Lynchburg and, except during college and World War II, he lived in Lynchburg his entire 95 years. He loved the City of Lynchburg and he served it faithfully and well. He was known and admired for his quiet competency, his keen judgment, his moral leadership, and the unfailing courtesy and decency with which he treated everyone he met. Mr. Schewel was born on June 20, 1924, the son of Abraham and Anna Schewel. His father, Abe, was an immigrant from Russia. He had two older siblings, Francis and Stan, who predeceased him. He was a member of Agudath Sholom Synagogue his entire life. Mr. Schewel attended E.C. Glass High School and, in 1941, began college at Washington & Lee University. He left college to enlist in the United States Army after the attack on Pearl Harbor. He served in the Army Air Corps until the war ended in 1945, creating aerial maps from his underground post.
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Mr. Schewel worked in the family furniture business, Schewel Furniture Company for more than 50 years. He and his cousin Bert ran the business together for many years, trading titles and responsibilities from year to year. Under their leadership, the business grew and prospered. Inspired by the Civil Rights Movement, Mr. Schewel entered local politics in 1965 when he won election to City Council. There he championed fair housing, support for the Lynchburg Community Action Program and funding for public education. At the time, many local institutions, including the Jones Memorial Library, remained segregated. Together with his friend, Dr. Cully Lippard, his wife, Rosel and others, he helped found Friends of the Lynchburg Public Library which led to the creation of the Lynchburg Public Library in 1966, to serve all people in Lynchburg. He ran for, and won election to, the Virginia State Senate in 1975, where he served until 1995. His senatorial district included the City of Lynchburg and Bedford and Amherst Counties. He played a key role in the General Assembly's adoption of the Commonwealth's first conflict of interest legislation and, because of his principled approach to ethics issues, was often referred to as the "Conscience of the Senate." He was a steadfast supporter of public education, fiscal responsibility, and the rights of women, including his vote for ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment. Under the influence of Rosel, he increasingly saw the positive role that government could play in improving the lives of children and reducing long-standing inequities that plagued society.
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Funeral services for Mr. Schewel will be held at 11 a.m. on Thursday, December 19, 2019 at Agudath Sholom Synagogue, 2055 Langhorne Rd. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to one of the following organizations: Beacon of Hope, P.O. Box 1261, Lynchburg, Va. 24505; Agudath Sholom Congregation, 2055 Langhorne Rd., Lynchburg, Va., 24501; or Rosel Schewel Fund, Virginia Humanities, 145 Ednam Drive, Charlottesville, VA 22903-4629. Tharp Funeral Home & Crematory, Lynchburg, is assisting the family. To send condolences, please visit tharpfuneralhome.com.

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