Harry Schoenfeld died peacefully at his home in the Santa Cruz Mountains on April 9, 2024. His amazing life spanned 101 years and 7 months!

Harry was born in the San Francisco area on September 16, 1922. His first job was selling Life Magazine door to door to help his family make ends meet during the Great Depression. While work was a valued part of his entire life, he also enjoyed the outdoors from a young age and routinely hiked to the top of Mount Tamalpais during his free time as a boy. He met his wife Bernardine “Bernie" Ellis in the early 1940’s, and they married in 1944. Harry and Bernie were married for 74 years until Bernie’s death in 2018 at the age of 95.

Harry and Bernie started their marriage living in San Mateo and Los Altos Hills before finding their forever home in the Santa Cruz Mountains where they built a unique, one of a kind, round house with a swimming pool in the center. They planted many different fruit trees, and they built a greenhouse and a wood shop. Harry also spent weekends building a 35 foot sailboat, Wandering Star, on their property. They enjoyed many years of sailing it in the San Francisco and Monterey Bays. Harry enjoyed traveling and camping with his family, along with his many hobbies including wood working, ceramics, fishing and, in his later years, lawn bowling. He went lawn bowling two days before he died.

Harry was a New York Life Insurance agent for his entire adult career - for the past 78 years. Even this year, he was meeting and talking with clients. When he was 100, he gave a talk at the San Jose office on his longevity and success as an agent. Bernie and his son Stephen worked with him in their home office. He received many milestone career accolades, too many to mention here. When Harry was in his 80’s, he and Bernie self published a book about their well-lived lives called, “If We Can Do It, You Can Do It.”

Harry is survived by his girlfriend Susan, children Stephen Schoenfeld and his girlfriend Laura, Deborah ( Mike) Morrow, his grandchildren Nathan Rapheld and his partner Melissa Wong, Monique (Scott) Sady, Nanette (Cliff) Barber, and his great grandchildren Rowan Barber, Lyla Barber and Sophie Rapheld.

Family was everything to Harry, and he was close with his extended family throughout his life. He is also survived by sister-in-law Ethel Cole, and nieces Terri, Christine, Lori, Linda Corr, Nancy, Linda Cole and their families. And lastly, he is survived by close friends who have become family, Leo and Eva.

Harry was celebrated at his 100th birthday party, and, in a way, this was a celebration of his life that he was able to participate in - to get to hear the many wonderful memories that people shared with him about his life was so meaningful to him.

Harry’s family would like him to be remembered for his kind heart, his positive attitude, and zest for life itself. His spirit was full of life up until his last breath, it was just his body that was ready to rest. “We will all miss you, you gave us so much Joy and Light,” said Stephen.

There will be no funeral, instead there will be a celebration of life within the coming months.

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