Ruth E. Rowan

Northboro – Ruth E. Rowan of Northboro passed away peacefully on August 22, 2018 at home in the company of her husband and daughter and sisters after a long negotiation with cancer.

Ruth was the daughter of the late Urban and Harriet Rowan of South Milwaukee, WI; She leaves her husband of 35 years Brian Swanson and her daughter Melinda Rowan Swanson of Somerville, MA; She was predeceased by daughter Alice Rowan Swanson; She also leaves sisters Jane Fulton and her husband Dorman of Minneapolis, Bonnie Rowan and her husband Douglas Norwood of Washington DC, and MaryPat Rowan of Washington DC as well as nephews, nieces, grand nephews, and grand nieces.

Ruth attended Oberlin College and Sloan School of M.I.T.; She had a career in finance, working for Norton Company, Digital Equipment Corp., W.R. Grace, and Clark University.

Ruth was involved in a variety of social action organizations including the Center for Nonviolent Solutions of Worcester and Unitarian Universalist Mass. Action, and was also a longtime member of the Worcester Chorus and other musical organizations.

The family asks that in lieu of flowers, donations in Ruth’s honor could be made to the Virginia Thurston Healing Garden Cancer Support Center, 145 Bolton Road Harvard, MA 01451.

A Memorial Service will be held at the First Parish Unitarian Universalist, 40 Church Street Northborough, MA  01532 on Saturday September 22, 2018 at 3:00 pm

Funeral arrangements have been entrusted to the Graham,& Putnam & Mahoney Funeral Parlors.

To share a memory or to offer condolences, a guestbook is available at www.gpmfunerals.com.

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