Ronald “Ron” Swartz, son of Mildred and Ervin Swartz, was born in Lime City, Ohio, on May 3, 1933. He passed away February 17, 2024, in Aberdeen.
At a young age, he moved with his family to Perrysburg, Ohio, where their large spread of land and buildings encouraged his adventurous and energetic nature. He learned to drive tractors and trucks, made many neighborhood friends, had a workshop and tools. One of his favorite activities was building and flying model airplanes. He loved planes and took flying lessons, eventually sharing ownership with high school friends of a plane that was kept on his parents’ farm. He also loved football and had many vigorous games with friends.
Throughout his life, friendship came easily to Ron, who will be remembered for his keen interest in people, cheerful personality, and his unfailing optimism.
When he was eleven, he was stricken with polio and had to spend a summer in a children’s hospital to recuperate. Part of his recovery was using a motor scooter for mobility. During this motor scooter period, though he was quite young, he explored far and wide in town and country.
When Ron went to Perrysburg High School, he discovered that he loved mathematics and physics. Also, while in high school, he met the love of his life, Joyce Meister, who was one year behind him. They married when he was in college and were very happy together for 69 years. Ron graduated in 1951 and went directly to the University of Toledo without waiting for Autumn term to begin. There he pursued his passion for math and physics majoring in engineering. Also during this time he became very interested in and skilled at tennis. After his BS in engineering at Toledo he went on to graduate work at Purdue University where he earned an MS in aeronautical engineering. From there he was hired for the job he’d hoped for in research at The Boeing Company in Seattle.
Two years doing research at Boeing convinced him that he’d rather have a job which was more people-oriented. He turned to education and became the Engineering Instructor at Grays Harbor College, where he continued for 30 years.This job was a better match for his personality; he enjoyed teaching mathematics and he loved interacting with his many fine students, sometimes amusing them with his examples, explanations, and projects.
Ron was an enthusiastic fan of Buckminster Fuller. He and Joyce enjoyed living in a spacious geodesic dome that the college faculty helped him build onto their Montesano home.
Ron is survived by his loving wife, Joyce, his brother Tom (Carolyn), sisters Evelyn Martin and Diane (Jon) Luzny, brother-in-law James Meister (Alaina), and numerous nieces and nephews. He will be missed by them and by everyone who knew him.
