Lasting Memories

Annette Schaumann
Aug. 6, 1932-Feb. 3, 2024
Palo Alto, United States
Submitted by Suzanne Patti

Annette Patti Schaumann 8/6/1932 to 2/3/2024

Born to Sicilian immigrants who worked each Two jobs after coming to the US through Ellis Island legally. Annette had to start dinner and care for her younger brother at age 8. It was hard times with the recession & then the war. Her parents had to get milk on credit for the new baby her brother. There was a car accident where she and her mother were injured and that resulted in a settlement where they were able to buy a 6 family Brownstone in Ridgewood, New York. She helped her father with maintaining and painting the units at an early age.

During High School Annette would take multiple buses & trains to learn fashion design. After High School she became a fashion designer. She would see dresses in the windows of stores like Sacs Fifth Avenue and draw the design on Newspaper & make a similar dress. It was a man’s world in that industry, and she was not willing to do the things it took to make it there. She made some beautiful outfits for Suzanne.

She was an amazing athlete playing handball, basketball & softball – often being the only girl competing with the boys at a time when girls did not play sports. She taught the children how to play volleyball, basketball & softball. She coached Suzanne & Marks sports teams- Soccer, Softball, Basketball. Leif taught the family Soccer and Annette started playing at age 45, Goalie & Forward in the Palo Alto Adult League. She took up tennis also & played several times a week along with aerobics and weight training until she was 80.

Annette became an Executive Secretary for Clairol and did very well. She later met her second husband Leif at a UN Party in NYC that she crashed. They had a daughter Suzanne then moved to Denmark to further Leif’s career where he worked for East Asiatic. Their son Mark was born there. After 3 years Annette had had enough of that that county on all fronts. Leif got a job at SRI International as a Pharmaceutical Consultant in Menlo Park, California. The family moved & thought they had found heaven on earth with the community and weather of Palo Alto. She had the gift of interior design & created a lovely home for the family. An excellent cook/ baker and made mealtime and Holidays very special.

She was actively involved in the children’s activities. She helped start Hoover School, originally known as a back to basics, 3R’s and no basketweaving or calling the teacher by their first name.

Later she studied and got her real estate license starting out at Midtown Realty & lastly was with Cornish & Carey. She had lots of referrals due to her honesty in a profession where that was hard to find.

She volunteered & delivered groceries through a program at Co-Op market for shut ins for years & built friendships with all.

She was a wonderful mother, friend and afflicted with Dementia in her last years. She will be missed but we are grateful she is with God now.