Bruce Swoffer

Bruce W. Swoffer, 91, passed away on March 13, 2010, at Centerpoint Medical Center in Independence, Missouri.

He was born on September 2, 1918, in Deckerville, Michigan, the second son of Herbert and Lula Swoffer. He served four years in the U.S. Army during World War II, two years of which were in Great Britain. He married Mildred Ledsworth on July 4, 1943, in Lexington, Michigan. They celebrated their 50th anniversary in 1993 at Camp Cavell where they were married. Bruce received a B.S. degree from Ferris Institute in Big Rapids, Michigan, and a M.S. from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, in the fields of business. He taught school in Deckerville and Croswell, Michigan, before moving to Lamoni, Iowa, in 1958 where he taught at Graceland University for 10 years. In 1968, he moved to Independence, Missouri, and taught for four years in the Kansas City, Missouri, School District. In 1972, he and Mildred returned to Michigan where they lived in Sandusky while he was Associate Superintendent of the Sanilac County Intermediate School District. He was instrumental in the building of the Sanilac County Career Center in Sandusky. In 1979, they returned to the Kansas City, Missouri area. Bruce worked for Park University as the Vice-President of Business Affairs and aided in the financial recovery of that institution. After retirement in 1986 from full-time employment, he worked part-time in the Independence and Raytown school districts. He continued to peruse local papers for jobs he thought he was qualified for until his death. Work, professional and otherwise, was very important to him as was his family and his church. Bruce was an elder, superannuated, in the Community of Christ church having been ordained to that office in 1952. He had previously held the office of priest after being ordained in 1947. He was currently a member of the Ridgewood congregation.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Herbert and Lula, his three siblings, Merle Swoffer, Eleanor Kurzer and Thelma Angerbrandt, and his son, Robert Charles Swoffer who died in 1986.

He is survived by his wife, Mildred, of Raytown; his daughter, Merlene Brush, Raytown; his grandsons, Michael and Daniel Brush, Raytown; his granddaughters, Molly Schlenker (Jason), Portland, Oregon, and Lori Ainsworth (Thomas), Seattle, Washington; and great-grandchildren, Korinne Ainsworth, Seattle, and Rohnen Schlenker, Portland.

Memorial service to be on Thursday April 1, 2010, 10:00 am, College Park Community of Christ, 1201 W. College, Independence, MO. Contributions may be sent to the Community of Christ, Bishopric, 1001 W. Walnut, Independence, Missouri 64050. A private graveside was held at Mound Grove, Independence, Missouri.

There are no affiliations for Bruce Swoffer