Ruth Caroline Schwalm

Ruth Caroline Schwalm

Her Life Dedicated to Service and Teaching -

Ruth Caroline Schwalm, age 92, of Mechanicsburg, and formerly of Baltimore, passed away on Friday, May 5, 2017.  Ruth was born on Sunday, March 1, 1925 in Elizabethville to the late John D. Schwalm and Irene (Koppenhaver) Schwalm.  In addition to her parents, Ruth is preceded in death by her brothers Alfred, Charles, Norman; and her sisters, Sarah and Irene (Schwalm) Guinivan.

Ruth’s survivors include her nephew, Thomas “Tom” Guinivan and his wife, Carol, of Forest Hill, MD; her niece, Ann Guinivan Cover and her husband, Tim, of Nashville, TN; James “Jim” Schwalm of Mesa, AZ; Jack Schwalm of MD; and several great nieces and nephews.

Ruth graduated from the Harrisburg Hospital School of Nursing (1945), the University of Pennsylvania with a Bachelor of Science in Education (1949), the United Theological Seminary in Dayton, OH with a Master of Science in Religious Education (1958) and the University of Maryland, College Park with a Master of Science in Nursing Service and Administration (1966).  Doctoral studies were later pursued at University of Maryland in the areas of Curriculum and Educational Administration.

Ruth’s professional nursing career spanned 50 years in which she served in the capacities of private duty nurse, nurse anesthetist (Espanola Hospital, NM); nursing instructor (Harrisburg Hospital School of Nursing); assistant professor (University of Maryland School of Nursing); nursing supervisor (Good Samaritan Hospital, Baltimore MD); and visiting staff nurse (Visiting Nurses’ Association, Baltimore MD).   Ruth was the founding Chairperson and Associate Professor of the Department of Nursing Bachelor Of Science Program at Towson University in Towson, Maryland (1970-1988).  Ruth was granted the status of Professor Emeritus in 1988.  She retired from nursing on her 70 ^th birthday, March 1, 1995.

Ruth was an active member of Shiremanstown United Methodist Church, Essex Center United Methodist Church in Essex, MD and Messiah Village Church.

All are welcome to join Ruth’s family at her gathering of family and friends on Sunday, May 21, 2017, from 2:00 p.m. until time of the memorial service at 3:00 p.m. at the Messiah Village Chapel, 100 Mount Allen Drive, Mechanicsburg, PA 17055; with Pastors Ronald Slabaugh, Debby Bentch and Ann Cover officiating.

Burial will be at St. John’s Lutheran Cemetery in Pine Grove on Saturday, May 20, 2017.

Contributions in celebration of Ruth’s life can be made to the Messiah Village Employee Christmas Gift Fund,     100 Mount Allen Drive, Mechanicsburg, PA 17055, www.MessiahLifeways.org/Giving/Donate;

Towson University School of Nursing, 8000 York Road, Towson, MD 21252, www.Towson.GiveCorps.com;  Messiah Village Church, 100 Mount Allen Drive, Mechanicsburg, PA 17055, www.MessiahVillage.org/Messiah-Village-Church/Church-Giving/or to Harrisburg Hospital Alumni (Fund for Advanced Nursing Education), P.O. Box 8700, Harrisburg, PA 17105-8700, www.PinnacleHealth.org/Giving-Back/.

Ruth’s family has entrusted her care to Myers – Buhrig Funeral Home and Crematory in Mechanicsburg, (717) 766-3421.  Read Ruth’s full obituary and sign her official guest book at Buhrig.com.