Charlotte Louise Ryan's Obituary
Charlotte Louise Swanson Ryan, our beloved mother, grandmother and great grandmother, passed away peacefully on Thursday, November 12 in Lakewood, Washington. Born on March 5, 1926 in Tacoma, Washington, Charlotte spent the entirety of her life in the City of Destiny with the exception of the 4 years she spent in San Francisco as a young girl.
Throughout her life, she worked hard to raise her three children while building a strong career as a teletypist. From 1943-1973, Charlotte worked at Western Union where she covered many important events including John F. Kennedy’s speech at Cheney Stadium in September 1963 and the Republican party convention in San Francisco in 1964. Before retiring in 1991, she also spent 14 years with United Pacific Reliance Insurance Company in a similar role.
Charlotte also enjoyed attending worship services on Sunday morning. For over 40 years, she was a devout member of Epworth Lesourd United Methodist Church where she held many important roles including Assistant Financial Secretary. Whether it was counting money or hosting bible study, Charlotte’s presence was felt and respected in the Methodist community.
Music was another one of Charlotte’s passions. She was an amazing accordionist and admired the Swedish Polka genre. Anyone who heard Charlotte play knew how enthusiastic she was as she performed for family and friends at parties and church functions. Furthermore, Charlotte was an integral part of Epworth’s bell choir for a number of years performing during the most joyous occasions year-round. She was also known for her never ending support and encouragement of her grandchildren’s musical endeavors as she never missed a concert or recital.
While Charlotte had a variety of different hobbies, nothing was more important to her than spending time with family. From hosting countless holiday dinners to baking the most delectable Bundt cakes for birthdays, Charlotte placed her loved ones first and made sure they were together for every special occasion. While Charlotte is no longer physically here, her cheerful spirit will live on through her family. They will miss her dearly.
Charlotte is preceded in death by her parents, David E. and Lavina V. Swanson, brother David L. Swanson, husband Melvin W. Ryan( 50 years of wedded bliss) and great granddaughter Ruby S. Guinan. She is survived by her 2 daughters, Diane L. Ryan Geib, Charlene M. Ryan Ulguray ( Steve), and son Mark W. Ryan ( Carina), 9 grandchildren, Renee, Jennifer, Chris, David, Rob, Heather, Matthew, Timothy and Anthony, 13 great grandchildren and 1 great great grandchild.
There will be public viewing at Mountain View Funeral Home on December 5th, 2020 from 11:00 am- 2:30 pm followed by private family gravesite service. A celebration of life will be held later. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made to Cure Alzheimer’s Fund.
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