SWINGER, Alice Mae Kruckeberg
Born May 11, 1929, near Froid, Montana, passed away on June 16, 2022, at Everheart Hospice at Wayne Hospital, Greenville, Ohio. She is survived by her three children, Jennifer (Don) Thomas, David (Lisa) Swinger, and Karen Swinger; nine grandchildren; twelve great-grandchildren; and brother Lawrence (Suzette) Kruckeberg. She lived happily for many years at the Brethren Retirement Community in Greenville, OH, after spending her adult life in Dayton, OH. She was married to James Richard Swinger on August 28, 1949. He pre-deceased her in May of 2008.
She graduated from Versailles, (OH), High School in 1947, earned her BS and MS in elementary education from Miami University, and received her PhD from The Ohio State University in 1975. She retired in 1992 from Wright State University, where she taught in the College of Education, specializing in international children’s literature. She also taught in the Dayton City School District both as a classroom teacher and reading specialist. She created a travel scholarship, First International Travel (administered by the Darke County Foundation), for Versailles, (OH), High School, to promote international understanding and education. As a volunteer, she promoted international understanding through her activities in The Experiment in International Living, which facilitated home stays for visitors from throughout the world. The Swinger family welcomed visitors from Germany, Kenya, Iran, Mexico, and Greece to their home.
Despite significant challenges throughout her life, including blindness, cancer, and Alzheimer’s dementia, she exuded humor, positivity, and joy in living and learning. Her dedication to education, literacy, travel, and personal fitness is a treasured legacy to her family.
She donated her remains to Wright State University Medical school. Family and friends will gather in remembrance later in the summer. Anyone wishing to make a gift in her memory is invited to contribute to the Brethren Retirement Center (https://www.bhrc.org/donate), Everheart Hospice (https://ever hearthospice.org/giving/), or the James and Alice Kruckeberg Swinger Fund for International Travel (https://www.darkecoun tyfoundation.org/list-of-funds).