Roger Euster, aka Benjamin Schwartz
Roger Euster, aka Benjamin Schwartz, 82, of Goshen, N.Y., passed away Wednesday, April 1, 2015, of Parkinson’s at Elant Assisted Living in Goshen. He was born May 24, 1932, in New York, N.Y., son of the late Benjamin and Mae (Euster) Schwartz.
Roger spent his early years in Miami, Fla., with his twin sister, Lee, and mother, Mae Euster. After World War II broke out, he moved to Washington, D.C., where he graduated from Calvin Coolidge High School in 1950. Following his graduation, he continued his education at Haverford College, graduating in 1954. He also studied at The University of Pennsylvania Law School.
He married Catherine Winslow in 1952. Together, they had four beautiful children: Caren in 1953, Wayne in 1955, Bryn in 1962 and Worthington in 1965. In 1959, Roger moved with his family to New York where he began to work for Tony Marshall (the stepson of Vincent Astor) with a company investing in Africa, south of the Sahara Desert. A few years later, he joined a group to run The Little Theatre at 44th Street and Broadway in New York City. They produced some shows including the musical “Tambourines to Glory” by Langston Hughes starring Lou Gossett; “Baby Want a Kiss” with Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward; and “The Dybbuk” with The Yiddish Theatre from Israel. He also ran the off-Broadway Mercury Theatre where "The Nest" with Jill Clayburgh was produced.
Later, Roger acquired an old theatre at 2nd Avenue and 6th Street which he changed from Yiddish Vaudeville to The Village East. He brought in many emerging 1960s performers, including The Who, The Yardbirds, Allen Ginsberg, Timothy Leary and other popular acts of the era. The Village East was managed by Bill Graham, which later became the Fillmore East - the eastern home of Rock and Roll! Roger went on to develop the Elgin Theatre on 19th Street and 8th Avenue. Here he played oldies and new art films. Roger started managing film festivals and took over The Bijou Theatre at 45th Street and Broadway where he showed films such as “Freaks" and "Night of the Living Dead,” before he brought over artistic films from Japan. Meanwhile, he also opened theaters in Chicago, Boston and Toronto, Canada.
In 1972, he and Catherine divorced and Roger moved to Circleville, N.Y., near Monticello, where he concentrated mostly on real estate, remarried and had another son, Todd in 1985.
Sadly, Worthington passed away in 2005, Wayne in 2007 and Todd in 2012. Roger was brought to Delaware to be buried with his sons Worthington, Wayne and other family members.
Funeral Services will be held Saturday, April 11, at 11 a.m., at Parsell Funeral Homes & Crematorium, Atkins-Lodge Chapel, 16961 Kings Highway, Lewes, where friends may call beginning at 10 a.m. Interment will follow services at Epworth Methodist Cemetery, Henlopen Avenue, Rehoboth Beach.
Memorial contributions may be made in Roger’s memory to Rehoboth Art League, 12 Dodds Lane, Rehoboth Beach, DE 19971.
Please visit Roger’s Life Memorial Webpage and sign his online guestbook at www.parsellfuneralhomes.com.
