Janet Schwab Gurwitch

Janet Schwab Gurwitch (aka Cookie), born November 18, 1942 (Birmingham, AL), died Monday September 22, 2025 (Glen Carbon, IL). She fought a 2-year battle against cancer with grace and humor and, when she’d decided she’d had enough, she let go. Her daughter, Susan Gurwitch, and beloved son-in-law, P. Geoff Rutledge, were at her bedside. In addition to Susan and Geoff (Glen Carbon, IL), Janet is survived by her daughter, Ruth Gurwitch (Los Angeles, CA) and her granddaughters, Cooper (UIUC) and Josephine Rutledge (University of Alabama). Her brother, Leonard Schwab (Berkeley, CA) also survives her. Cookie completed her BA at the University of Alabama in 1964 and her MA in 1965. She worked as a speech therapist/pathologist for many years before deciding she wanted to study law. She started at Georgia State University and completed her law degree at University of Nebraska in 1987. She worked for Legal Aid of Iowa for a time and then, after moving to Knoxville, TN, she worked first for legal aid there, helping domestic violence victims and survivors. Later, she moved to the Knox County District Attorney’s Office and prosecuting domestic violence cases. While in Knoxville, she helped found and organize Knoxville’s Family Justice Center. She served on the board of the Knoxville YWCA and was honored to receive a Tribute to Women award by the YWCA. This award is given to women who work toward “empowering women, promoting peace, justice, freedom, and dignity for all.” That describes Janet in a nutshell. She was committed to the Jewish ideal of Tikkun Olam (repairing the world) and she marched for civil rights and equal rights and refusenik rights. She was actively involved in political action and community building. She was also very involved in the various Jewish communities in which she lived (Birmingham, Mobile, Atlanta, Baton Rouge, back to Atlanta, Alexandria, LA, Omaha, Knoxville). She was one of the founders of National Jewish Federation’s Young Leadership program. She was a life member of Hadassah and sat on the boards of various Jewish organizations and congregations. In her retirement she established monthly Zoom sessions with members of her maternal and paternal families, connecting with relatives far and wide. Those Zooms will continued in her honor and with much love for her. Most importantly, she was our mother and grandmother. She did the very best she could to be as good a mom as she knew how to be. And she loved her granddaughters and her son-in-law with everything in her. We will miss you, Cookie. Your memory will be a blessing to all of us always. Roll Tide, Cookie. Roll Tide.

Tributes

Janet Schwab Gurwitch

November 18, 1942 - September 22, 2025