I will lie down and sleep in peace;
for you alone, O Lord, make me lie down in safety.
Psalm 4:8
Born in Salina, Kansas
March 31, 1941 - December 31, 2022
Ron Swenson moved from this life to the next on December 31, 2022.
Not
wanting to be an April Fools baby, he was born late on the 31st of
March 1941. Ron had a subtle sense of humor that surprised others. His
Hospice caregivers laughed as he waved good-bye with the paw of his
little black bear, Scooter. Scooter entered Ron’s life while he and his
wife Carole (Carly) were on one of their many trips. They escaped Kansas
weather traveling to Arizona; explored Mexico in a Chevy with Ron’s
brothers David (wife Tommye of Bluffton, SC) and Larry (wife Cynthia of
McPherson, KS); enjoyed Christmas in Costa Rica; trekked through Europe
with son Robert (children Roriker and Antonia of Overland Park, KS); had
future plans to see UC at Chapel Hill with Rory who is a sophomore;
appreciated art wherever he went, hanging an oil painting done just for
him by Annie above his desk; happily remembered many a trip with
daughter Christine Walsh and her husband Dennis (Leawood, KS) and
children Michaela (husband Evan Wright and their children Jonah,
Georgia, Gwen, and Josie of Overland Park), Luke (Taiwan), Evan (wife
Jess), Levi, and Paul (all of the San Francisco area); swapped travel
stories with Ron’s sister Karen Bastin and husband John (Salina, KS);
experienced history in Williamsburg, VA with friends Janet and David
Paden (Lawrence, KS); cruised the Alaska inside passage and got a “birds
eye view” of Alaska with Carole’s late brother and private pilot, David
Byrd (Anchorage, AK); encountered Carole’s late sister Marilyn Brannon
and husband Jack (Colombia MO) while vacationing in Colorado; had second
hand pleasure from the 6 months travel adventures of Ron’s brother
David and Tommye; hiked many a National Park as well as many trails with
friend Steve Winer (Caritos, CA); basked in the beauty of Hawaii with
Ron’s sister Marilyn Schmiedeler and late husband Mike (Salina, KS); and
camped with Carole’s cousin Jan Embree Bever and her husband John in
Chaco Canyon (Silver City, NM). Travel and experiencing other cultures
was a core element in Ron’s life.
Ron believed the happiest
people were those who lose their life in the service to others. He
helped start Celebration of Cultures in Lawrence to share with Lawrence
residents the variety of cultures of students at Haskell Indian Nations
University, as well as KU students and staff. He felt blessed by his
volunteer Mission trips in Guatemala building homes and churches and
worshipping with local communities. Church rummage sales raising funds
for different charities, and estate sales to help people down-size and
move into a retirement community to begin a new phase of life were
frequent later years activities. If his church had a sale, Ron was there
to help.
A quiet, in the background kind of guy, Ron had many
skills he learned from his family, Boy Scouts, school, friends and
family and as a result of his natural abilities. He could fix or repair
most everything, keeping his dad happy using old toasters, radios,
tools and lamps. Ron could build, start, and maintain a fire for
cooking in a down pour. And those meals were unforgettable.
He
created schedules for 100+ student rotation through specialized
curriculum materials making tracking and scoring Carole’s classes
manageable.
Ron helped develop the computerized IEP system
(Individualized Education Plan) for the Northwest Kansas Education
Region, then the state and national reporting system for school
districts.
Not active in sports, Ron was an Eagle Scout and was a
photographer for his high school newspaper and yearbook. He played the
clarinet and tenor saxophone in high school and became a ham radio
operator (K0SWU) then communicating with other hams all over the world,
including Carole’s late father (W0MMO).
Ron was diagnosed with
colon cancer in 2000, then had a recurrence in 2020. He battled through
surgery, chemo, radiation and hyperbaric treatments. He spent his last
six months at Aberdeen Village Retirement Community.
He
peacefully went to join his Savior on December 31st, where he wanted to
be, in his home apartment, with his family and Aberdeen friends.
A memorial service will be held on January 20th at 1pm at Aldersgate United Methodist Church, 15315 W. 151st, Olathe, KS 66062.
In
lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to Boy Scout Troop
315 for their campout fund or Aldergate Preschool for scholarships.
Either contribution can be mailed to Aldersgate United Methodist Church
15315 W. 151st, Olathe, KS 66062.