Ruth Swofford

Ruth Iva Tate Swofford, age 83, died at her home in Long Beach, MS on Monday, January 23, 2017 following an extended illness. She will always be remembered for her bright, sunny smile, which was always there, even on difficult days. Ruth was born in Maiden, NC and lived in North Carolina through high school. She attended Spartanburg Junior College in Spartanburg, SC and High Point College in High Point, NC, where she played basketball. She married in 1954 and moved to Mississippi as a Navy wife in 1966. She returned to NC in 1971 and was employed at Northwestern Bank in Forest City. In 1976, she returned to MS and worked for Morale Welfare & Recreation, Naval Construction Battalion Center in Gulfport until her retirement in 2005. She was a devoted mother to her only daughter and her two grandchildren were her absolute pride and joy.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Rev. and Mrs. C. F. Tate; two brothers, William Thurman Tate and Paul Dixon Tate; sister, Ruby Tate Hill; nephew, William Thurman Tate, Jr.; and niece, Joyce Mae Hill.
She is survived by her daughter, Lynn Swofford Bourdin (Billy); her grandchildren, Alicia Bourdin (Sarah) and Alex Bourdin (Kayla), all of Pass Christian, MS; two nieces, Judith Tate of Winston Salem, NC, and Paula Hutsler (Dee) of Birmingham, AL; nephew, George Tate (Tarisa) of Duluth, GA; numerous other relatives and friends. The family would especially like to thank all of her wonderful caregivers.
A funeral service will be held at 2:00PM Friday, January 27, 2017 at First United Methodist Church of Long Beach, 208 Pine St, Long Beach, MS. A visitation will begin at 1:00PM until service time at the church. Burial will follow the service at Live Oak Cemetery in Pass Christian. RIEMANN FAMILY FUNERAL HOME, 19130 Commission Rd, Long Beach is serving the family.
If you would like to make memorial contributions, please consider the Mitchell Cancer Institute, Mobile, AL. the First United Methodist Church of Long Beach, MS, or Oak Grove United Methodist Church, Ellenboro, NC.
Online tributes can be made at www.riemannfamily.com.