Mimi Schnitman Pais

Pais, Miriam (Mimi Korkin) Schnitman – age 87, of Knoxville, loving wife of Arthur Pais, formally Mimi Schnitman left this good earth on Saturday, July 12, 2014, to continue on singing, dancing, laughing, and enjoying the exceptional life she led. Art and Mimi shared such a happy life together. Mimi traveled with Art throughout the Southeast. As a Holocaust survivor, Art speaks with both adults and children as young as 10 years old, to share his story and to teach the community about the suffering of six million Jews who were lost in the Holocaust. Mimi was a member of Temple Beth El in Knoxville, and a lifetime member of Hadassah. The youngest of the four children of Simon and Rae Korkin, Mimi was raised in Waterbury, Connecticut, where she received a degree from the University of Connecticut with majors in English and French. Mimi started dancing as a little girl, first with tap and later with modern dance. Music was the peace and love which she shared so often with all those in her life. Growing up during the war, she and her sisters would dance with the soldiers who visited their home on Columbia Boulevard, in Waterbury Connecticut. She was married to Ed Schnitman in 1953 in Waterbury, Connecticut. Soon after, in 1956, Ed was offered an opportunity to become manager of quality control at a new furniture company called Berkline Corporation, in Morristown, TN. Mimi worked with TVA, creating a news magazine about the Tennessee Valley Authority, the Morristown Chamber of Commerce, Berkline, and Tusculum College during her time in Morristown. While at Berkline, she assisted with the implementation of the Berkline Newsletter. Mimi was very active in the community. Perhaps most notably was Mimi’s work with friends to help bring a community theater to Morristown. Soon those living in the area would be able to see hundreds of plays through the development of the Theater Guild on 314 South Hill Street in Morristown. Many will recall her active role with Kiwanis Kapers. For a period of time she moved to Reston, Va. Mimi and Ed had two children, Robert Schnitman of Colchester, CT and Suzi (Schnitman) Ginsburg of Boca Raton, FL. Her greatest gift to her children was a love and appreciation of music, theatre, dance and art. After the passing of her husband Ed in 1995, Mimi rekindled her love of life when she married Arthur Pais of Knoxville, Tn., on April 15, 2001. Art and Mimi shared a love of the arts, and the life of the Jewish people. Mimi is predeceased by her first husband Ed Schnitman, her parents Simon and Rae Korkin, brother, Alfred Korkin, and sister Ruth Wilson. She is survived by husband Arthur Pais, her son Robert C. Schnitman, her daughter Susan L. Ginsburg (Silverio), Granddaughters, Lauren E. Schnitman and Katherine R. Schnitman, Grandsons, Scott D. Gibson and Nathan J. Gibson, and great-granddaughters Alyssa Gibson, and Emmalee Gibson, and her sister Rhoda Roth, daughter-in-law Susan Healy Schnitman, son-in-law Ricky Ginsburg, and her extended family Jeanne Pais, Ray Pais, Bert Pais, Wendy Baker, their spouses and children. A memorial service will be held at Temple Beth El, 3037 Kingston Pike, Knoxville, Tennessee 37919, on Sunday, August 10, 2014 at 11:00 am with Rabbi Mathew Michaels presiding. In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to the Tennessee Holocaust Commission, 2417 West End Ave., Nashville, TN 37240. Arrangements by Rose Mortuary Mann Heritage Chapel. Online condolences may be made at www.rosemortuary.com

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Mimi Schnitman Pais

October 22, 1926 - July 12, 2014