Ardyce René (Shortreed) Swift 

Published 12:53 am Tuesday, December 15, 2015

March 28, 1935 – Dec. 8, 2015

Mom danced with us at her 80th birthday party earlier this year, now we say goodbye. She was born in South Dakota on March 28, 1935, to Glenn and Juliet Shortreed.

The family moved to Terrehonne, Oregon, in 1939. Mom married Dad, James Alfred Swift, on her 16th birthday, March 28, 1951. As she would do in everything she did throughout her entire life, Mom put her heart and soul into the family farm, community activities, loving dad, and raising four children.

In 1967, believing that she someday may need to support the family, Mom received her high school diploma in the form of a GED. She worked as a library aide at Terrebonne School, then with the help of local scholarships, she attended college at COCC and Western Oregon State College, earning an elementary teaching degree with a library of science minor in 1975. That year, she assumed management of the Redmond Library from Mary Peden, We watched proudly as the Library grew under Mom’s management, transitioning into the Deschutes County Library System, moving into the Jessie Hill School Building. Mom never forgot the help she received and put that same heart and soul into giving back. She was the first woman to serve as President of Redmond Kiwanis and was extremely active in the American Association of University Women, Friends of the Redmond Library and Redmond School’s SMART reading program. Mom and dad donated. generously to the COCC Foundation, Boys & Girls Club, and several other local community foundations.

Mom will be lovingly remembered by those who survive her, her husband, James Alfred Swift, Sr., her four children, James Alfred Swift, Jr., Rene’ Carol Franzen, Robert Glenn Swift, and Judy Rozann Swift Lanning; Doug Hockett and Roger Roley, also considered to he her sons and our brothers; her brother, Gordon Shortreed; sister, Marlys Peterson; grandchildren, Toni Rene’ Jones, Christopher Swift, Lee Swift, and Ashlie Usher; great-grandchildren, Connor Swift and Ella Usher.

Mom loved to travel, garden, read, go to the theatre, plays, and concerts; she was an artist, musician, philanthropist, mother, and friend.

Memorial service will be held at 3:00p.m., Friday, Dec. 11, 2015, at the Community Presbyterian Church, 529 NW 19th Street, Redmond.

Autumn Funerals, Redmond, is in charge of the arrangements.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that contributions be made to COCC Foundation – Swift Family Scholarship, 2600 NW College Way, Bend, OR 97703 or Deschutes Co. Library Foundation-Redmond Friends, 827 SW Deschutes Avenue, Redmond, OR 97756