Obituary: Ruth Swift Campbell

Lakeland, FL

A Celebration of Life for Ruth Swift Campbell, a resident of Lakeland, FL, and former Houghton resident who passed away January 10, 2018, in Lakeland Florida, at the age of 97, will be held 3:00 pm Saturday July 7, 2018, at the Portage Lake United Church in Houghton.
Condolences to Ruth’s family may be directed to www.plowefuneralhome.com.

Lakeland, FL
Ruth Swift Campbell passed away January 10, 2018, at Carpenters Home in Lakeland Florida, at the age of 97 years.

Ruth was born on March 24, 1920, in Houghton Michigan. She graduated from Houghton High School and then Purdue University, where she earned a Bachelors Degree in Home Economics. After college, Ruth returned to her beloved “Copper Country” in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, where she met and married Colie, her soulmate, in 1942. They lived in the UP until 1959 when they moved to Lakeland, Florida. Additional assignments for Colie moved them to Chicago Illinois, Esterhazy Saskatchewan, Taos New Mexico, and then back to the Winter Haven/Lakeland, Florida area. Colie passed away in 1995. For the past 30 years, Ruth has continued to live in Florida during the winter and in the Copper Country, where they had a lake home, in the summer.

Ruth’s favorite sport in high school was tennis, but she also loved the outdoors where she spent a lot of time with her father and uncle canoeing, camping, fishing, and hunting. When she was raising her children, she taught them, transported them, supported them, and did whatever was required to make them successful. She became a Brownie, Cub Scout, and Girl Scout leader at various times as she loved being involved with her children and their friends. When they moved to Florida, Ruth and Colie took up golf.

Ruth began painting while living in Taos. She became a prolific artist and continued taking painting lessons even after turning 97. Her paintings are hanging in homes all over the world.

In her later years, she enjoyed her walks, especially if she could do so with her children. Ruth had a great life and she touched many people. She always had a smile on her face. She poured a lifetime of Love into her family while making the lives better for everyone she came in contact with.

Ruth is survived by her children Lee Thompson, Alex Campbell (Gloria), Mary Lopez (Robert) and Dave Campbell (Debbie) along with 11 grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her parents Leigh and Irma Swift and her husband Colie. She will be sorely missed by many. The family thanks her caretakers, especially Amy Jordan, Deborah Robbins and Sabra Cummings.

A Memorial Service will be held at The Estates Carpenters in Lakeland from 2 to 4 pm on January 21, 2018. An additional Memorial Service will be held this summer in the Copper Country where Ruth will be laid to rest next to her husband Colie in the family plot.

The family asks that Memorial Donations be made in Ruth’s name to Cornerstone Hospice (2590 Havendale Blvd. NW, Winter Haven Florida 33881) or Little Brother Friends of the Elderly (527 Hancock Street, Hancock, Michigan 49930).
To view Ruth’s obituary or to send condolences to the family please visit www.plowefuneralhome.com.
The Memorial Chapel & Plowe Funeral Homes of Houghton are assisting the family with the arrangements