Ruth Eleanor Swank, 97 of Lenexa, Kansas passed away on Easter on April 20, 2025. Services will be held on May 1, 2025 at Nall Avenue Baptist Church, located at 6701 Nall Avenue, Prairie Village, Kansas. Visitation will be at 9:00, with service to follow at 10:00 AM.

Ruth was born in Wichita Kansas on June 27, 1927 to Ruth Estella Swank and Norman Victor Swank. She lived in Wichita all of her life until she moved to Kansas City in 2003. She lived there with John and Joyce for the next 21years. She was preceded in death by her siblings Catherine Williams, Neal Swank, Norman Swank, Mildred Beckham, Wayne Swank, and Jeannette Simon. She is survived by numerous nieces and nephews. She was the last surviving member of her immediate family.

Ruth worked childcare followed by waiting tables in a family owned restaurant in downtown Wichita for about 10 years. She was a night manaEer at Erdman's Donut Shop for 15 years. She worked there with John when he was a high school student, and they cooked donuts on the overnight shift. She then worked at Accent Dental Lab as a dental finisher and office manager for the last 20 years of her working career.

She was a caretaker all of her life. She took care of Jeannette who struggled with diabetes from a young age. She was the caregiver for her sister Mildred as she passed away from cancer. The last few years she lived in Wichita, Ruth helped raise a niece and nephew, William and Jackie. When her niece Becky suffered a stroke, Ruth cared for her the last years of her life. She helped take care of Joyce's mother in her last years with dementia. She was a second mother to John even before his mother, Jeannette, died in 1985, and she assumed more of that role upon Jeannette's passing. Ruth was never married, and never learned to drive.

Ruth had a good sense of humor, and said some of her favorite times were sitting and laughing with her friends from Sunday school. She was the treasurer for her Sunday School class, and was very diligent about keeping and reporting the records. She liked to do jigsaw puzzles, and has a couple of the larger ones on the wall of her kitchen. She also loved NBA basketball, and came to Kansas City to see an exhibition game featuring Michael Jordan and received a clock autographed by him for her birthday. Ruth enjoyed baking, especially desserts, candy, cakes, and cookies. There are many people who have missed getting bags of candy when she got sick.  

The family asks that in lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Nall Avenue Baptist Church Benevolence Fund.