Mom passed away peacefully on Thursday, March 2, 2017 at the age of 98. I want to thank Mitch’s Care Home and Serenity Hospice for the kind and compassionate care they provided during her last seven months. She will be missed by her daughter Linda Donaldson, her grandson Jesse Brown, and her great-granddaughter Alyssa Brown. She was preceded in death by her husband Ralph E. (Bud) Swanson and her son Thomas A. Swanson.

Mom grew up during the depression so she knew the value of a dollar and made sure we lived within our means. Both she and Dad graduated from Jefferson High School and were married on July 16, 1939. They celebrated 59 years of marriage prior to my father’s passing. During World War II Dad enlisted in the Army Air Corp in July 1942 and left for his training in Texas in January 1943. Mom was three months pregnant with my brother then and moved back in with her parents in Renton Washington. Dad was sent to The Asiatic Pacific Theatre in July 1944. During his service his plane went down in the Japanese controlled Philippines and Mom endured 23 days of his missing in action. After the war they moved back to Portland and lived in North Portland in Columbia Villa, which had been built as inexpensive housing for returning vets. In 1947 they purchased a plot of land in SW Portland and dad built their first home. They lived in that small two bedroom two story house with two children until dad “rough finished” their larger home right next to it. Mom had to “tough it out” for many years until the house was finally finished. In the end she created a warm and welcoming place for friends, relatives, and neighbors and loved to entertain there.

She was a “stay at home” mom who had fresh cookies waiting when we got home from school, made our lunches every day, and had home cooked meals every night. She supported us in all our activities – Cub Scout den mother, Blue Bird leader, PTA president for years, and watched countless Little League and Babe Ruth baseball games. She “ran the show” at home and when she went back to work as the office manager for our dentist after my brother and I were in high school, she ran the show there as well.

Mom had a remarkable memory, clear to the end of her life. She never forgot her friends and relatives birthdays and made sure she had cards on hand for every occasion. Her passion was reading; I can’t remember a time she didn’t have a book in her hand. Later in life she took up golf and joined dad on the links, and eventually joined a women’s golf club which gave her much joy and where she made some enduring friendships. When they retired they were able to travel and play golf, heading to Hawaii every year and to reunions all over the country for Dad’s WWII 380th Bomber group. After Dad passed she stayed active, continued traveling and played lots of golf. When she could no longer play after breaking her shoulder she watched golf and baseball on TV and read and read and read.

She had tons of friends from all of their activities, and made an effort to stay in touch and was always thankful when they remembered her. She was generous and supportive to her family and friends, and every cause that needed help. She will be remembered with love and appreciation for all who she cared for and all that she did.