Karen Sue Swope

Karen Sue Swope

WADSWORTH -- Karen Sue Swope, 71, of Wadsworth passed away on December 21, 2013 at 3:35 p.m. after a courageous nineteen month battle with pancreatic cancer at the Justin Rogers Hospice Care Center in Copley, Ohio. She had been a patient of the UH Seidman Cancer Center in Cleveland, Ohiio throughout her illness.

She was born in Lisbon, Ohio in 1942, the daughter of Donald and Faye (Neal) Lewton. She was a 1960 graduate of Lisbon High School and attended Bowling Green State University and Youngstown State University. She worked as the office manager of the Bacon-Cibula Medical Clinic in Lisbon and later as inventory and production control clerk in Columbiana, Ohio for Kaiser Refractories, a division of Kaiser Aluminum, and it's successor National Refractories and Minerals Corp. She later served as a volunteer tutor in Orrville City Schools GED program. Karen served as a trustee on the board of the Wayne County Public Library System. She was an active member of the First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Wadsworth, Ohio. While a Presbyterian most of her life, she previously served as a deacon of the Milton Presbyterian Church in Rittman, Ohio.

Karen enjoyed spending time with her grandchildren, arts and crafts, gardening and biking. She was an avid golfer and loved spending time with the ladies she golfed with.

She leaves her husband, Philip S. Swope, with whom she celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on the 14th of December. She is also survived by her daughter, Kirsten (Frederick) Caston of Downingtown, Pa.; two grandchildren, Nicole Caston and Christopher Caston of Downingtown; and sister, Dr. Nancy (Gerald) Girard of San Antonio, Texas. She was preceded in death by a son, Craig Alan Swope in 1987 and her parents.

Visitation will be from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Monday, December 23, 2013 at Gillman Funeral Home, 360 W. Sunset Dr., Rittman, Ohio. Visitation will also be held from 10 a.m. until 11 a.m. with the funeral to follow at the Eells Leggett Stauffer Funeral Home, 215 W. Lincoln Way, Lisbon, Ohio.

For online register book, obituary, condolences, visit www.gillmanfuneralhome.com.

In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be sent to the Craig Alan Swope Memorial Fund at the Wayne County Community Foundation, 517 N, Market St., Wooster, OH 44691, 330-925-2911