Susan Drake-Schwartz – Fairview Cemetery Historian

Susan Drake-Schwartz has been recognized by the Albuquerque Historical Society with an Albuquerque History Accolade for her dedication to preserving and sharing the rich history of the Historic Fairview Cemetery. Through her tireless efforts researching, documenting, and disseminating the stories of those laid to rest, she has not only enriched the community’s understanding of its past but also provided solace and connection to countless families. Her passion, expertise, and outreach continue to give life to silent cemetery narratives, ensuring their legacy endures for generations to come.

Susan has been an employee and a volunteer at Fairview Memorial Park for over twenty years. She became engrossed by the history and biographies represented by each headstone and record. Soon she was assisting families of Fairview occupants, reading old newspapers and biographies, participating in computer searches, contributing stories to the online Find-a-Grave, creating, collecting, and sharing photographs, maps, and records as well as collecting oral histories from families. As the de facto Fairview Historian, she worked with other volunteers, staff, administrators and the public.  In her spare time she is publishing stories on her blog, and writing a book on some of the people buried in the Cemetery.

Susan is frequently invited to speak to organizations, groups, and private gatherings. She has been featured in magazine and newspaper articles, as well as television interviews, and was recognized by the Historical Society of New Mexico. As of April 2024, Susan was elected by the Board of Historic Fairview Cemetery as their President. Now you can hear Albuquerque’s history whispered in reverent stories, thanks to Susan Drake-Schwartz.