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Betty Goldman Schlein of Shinnecock Hills, an early leader in the modern feminist movement, died June 29, 2018, of a stroke. She was 87.
The deaths of local children hit by trains at unsafe railroad crossings in Merrick, Long Island propelled her from a traditional suburban housewife into local politics. But the oppression of minorities and the passionate purpose of the civil rights movement, coupled with outrage over American involvement in the Vietnam War, lit a fire that turned into decades of political activism. She volunteered in the 1968 congressional elections, helping the charismatic anti-war activist Allard Lowenstein get elected to Congress.
In the early 1970s, she became a leader in her own right, helping create movements for women’s equality and against domestic violence. She helped found and later led the National Organization for Women for Long Island. In 1972, she became vice chair of the New York State Democratic Party and then served as New York Governor Hugh Carey’s top aide on Long Island. Ms. Schlein played a key role in pushing for the equal treatment of women among the delegates at the Democratic National Conventions in 1976 and 1980. Along the way, she mentored and worked closely with a new generation of women politicians, including vice presidential nominee Geraldine Ferraro, U.S. Representative Elizabeth Holtzman, and New York City Council president Carol Bellamy. She helped start and build the Long Island Community Foundation and the Women’s Fund of Long Island, as well as working to restore Eleanor Roosevelt’s home at Val-Kill and serving as a founding member of the Eleanor Roosevelt Legacy, which trains and supports women candidates for political office.
Ms. Schlein was predeceased by her husband of 48 years, Richard Schlein; and her son-in-law, Craig MacCallum. She is survived by her three children, Carol, Alan and Michael; her daughter-in-law, Jordan; four grandchildren; and her partner of 15 years, Fred Weinberg.
on Jul 5, 2018