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Partygoers walk the grounds of Richard Schwartz's home, where a party was held for his 80th birthday.
Anya Weintein, 4, of Boston watches the happenings at a 'Great Gatsby'-themed 80th-birthday party for Richard Schwartz at his Marlborough Point home.
Richard Schwartz (right) talks with his friend Jim Ellis during a 'Great Gatsby'-style |
BY CATHY DYSON
Beth Newburger wanted to celebrate her husband's 80th birthday in grand fashion, so she re-created the setting of one of the most famous novels written during the decade in which he was born.
The glorious waterfront home of Newburger and her husband, Richard Schwartz, turned into a scene from "The Great Gatsby" on Saturday night.
Women in flapper-style dresses and feathered headbands paraded about the wraparound porches of the couple's three-story home. Men resembling gangsters in pinstripe suits, along with others wearing straw hats, knickers or bow ties, were offered liquor that flowed faster than the nearby Potomac River.
"It's unbelievable," said Molly Smith, artistic director of Arena Stage in Washington, as she glanced around her. "The beauty of Beth's parties is they're clever, fun, imaginative and full of vitality, just like Richard is."
Dignitaries from the nation's capital, along with well-to-do residents from the Fredericksburg region, made up the guest list, along with the couple's extended family. More than 200 people poured onto the 6-acre property, at the tip of Marlborough Point in eastern Stafford.
A shuttle bus took them from a nearby parking area through the gated entrance to "Richlynd." Guests chatted under the wide porches of the home--and gasped when a rainbow appeared over the river after thunderstorms stopped and skies cleared.
Then they ventured under a massive lighted tent, as big as a cottage, where dinner was served before fireworks exploded over the Potomac.
It was a scene from the Roaring '20s, all right, and the gracious hostess and guest of honor couldn't have been more pleased.
"This was all Beth's idea," said Schwartz, dressed in a white jacket and blue bow tie. "She's always given me parties on big birthdays, but this is topping all of them."
Newburger didn't want to make the event a costume party; she figured no one would bother. Instead, she told them to come as a character from "The Great Gatsby," F. Scott Fitzgerald's tale about the extravagant lifestyles of the 1920s.
Fitzgerald and Schwartz have a few things in common other than the decade. Both attended Princeton University, and both have the gift of storytelling, friends of Schwartz said.
Some in the crowd also compared Schwartz to Gatsby himself, who was known for his legendary parties.
But relatives and friends--even Schwartz's ex-wife--also praised the self-made millionaire for his generosity and graciousness.
"Richard is one of those rare individuals who had a dream and pursued it, no matter how many times he was told it wouldn't work," said his ex-wife, Sally-Jane Heit. "He's a very extraordinary man, and everyone loves him."
More than 40 years ago, Schwartz founded BoatU.S., the Boat Owners Association of the United States. It's the nation's oldest and largest association for recreational boaters, and offers on-the-water towing service for members.
In the past four decades, Schwartz has represented "the boat people," as he calls them, before Congress. He was involved in writing the Federal Boat Safety Act of 1971, and he has lobbied for safety issues and environmental concerns.
His association has more than 600,000 members.
"At the beginning, we almost starved to death, but BoatU.S. has been good to me," he said modestly. "And I'm still working every day. So is my wife."
Her resume is equally impressive. She currently helps preservation groups with their causes--and is trying to save the Wilderness battlefield in Orange County from the threat of a Walmart. She served in the White House under President Clinton and worked on initiatives to bring more attention to women's history.
Newburger also has planned a few parties in her time, and their Stafford home is perfect for entertaining, she said. Guests have come to expect something grand.
"I know the Schwartzes well enough to know that when they have a party, it's always something fantastic," said Martha Hearn Johnson of Fredericksburg.
"Always."
Cathy Dyson: 540/374-5425
Email: cdyson@freelancestar.com
