Ruth Boynton Swanson

Ruth made close friends wherever she went and particularly enjoyed hosting small gatherings of her buddies and spending time with them. She was a talented seamstress and made many of her clothes and her sons’ clothes when the children were small as well as items of household décor. She surprised her grandchildren with homemade, hand-sewn dress-up outfits, including a wedding dress cut to fit a 4-year-old and special vests and other fun items for Halloween and other holidays. She worked alongside her husband, Jules, to refinish and decorate furniture for her two sons' rooms. Later as empty nesters, they found interesting vintage items and polished them up to bring charm and character to their home. She set a beautiful table, raiding the yard for foliage and flowers to build lovely centerpieces even for everyday meals.

She was active in PEO, and attended church faithfully when she was able to, most recently at Lake Travis United Methodist Church. She liked to travel and went to Washington, D.C., Hawaii, New York City, all the beaches of Florida, and Vancouver, Canada, for a PEO conference. She also loved to read, and kept a close eye on current events.

Ruth was born in the home of her uncle, Dr. Alvord Stone, in Tampa, Florida, to John Lennard Boynton, Jr., a surveyor and painter, and Katharine Gorton Waldron, who had been a librarian and who worked as a receptionist and bookkeeper in her brother-in-law’s medical practice. Ruth was named after Katharine’s sister, Ruth Stone.

Ruth attended Hillsborough High School in Tampa, where she played clarinet in the marching band and was a member of the National Honor Society. She attended the University of Tampa briefly. She met her future husband, Jules Swanson, on a blind date. They married in 1950. Ruth and Jules and their sons, Douglas and David, lived in Tampa until 1969, when they moved to Dallas to start Swanson Wire Works. Ruth managed the office and kept the books. After the business was sold, Ruth worked at a Dallas savings and loan. She and Jules returned to Florida in 1980, taking up residence near Jules’ parents in Ocala.

Ruth was a loving, attentive parent who wrote in recent notes to her children and grandchildren that “motherhood was my best job.” She steadfastly cared for her husband, Jules, until his death in 2001, and then Jules’ mother, Lucille. She moved to Austin in 2014 to be closer to her son David.

Ruth was predeceased by her parents and her brother, Oliver Boynton. She is survived by her sons and their families: Douglas J. Swanson, his wife, Susan Rogers, and their children, Sam Swanson and Katherine Swanson Palmer and her husband, Steven Palmer; and David Swanson, his wife, Laurie Ratliff, and their daughter, Scout Swanson.

A memorial service for Ruth will be held in Lakeway at a later date. Those who wish to make a gift in Ruth’s memory are asked to consider a donation to Hospice Austin’s Christopher House, where she peacefully spent the last week of her life. https://www.hospiceaustin.org/get-involved/donate/