Sharon Kaye Swanson (nee Weaver) 67, of Denton, TX, passed away Thursday, September 18, 2008.  She was born November 7, 1940 in Des Moines, Iowa to Leonard and Mary Frances (Hammer) Weaver.  She graduated valedictorian from Lincoln High School in 1958.  She spent her summers working as a teller in Des Moines at a local bank.  She received her Bachelor of Science degree from Iowa State University in applied arts in 1961, where she met her husband Lloyd Swanson, and they married July 15, 1961 in Des Moines, Iowa.  She gave birth to Cindy in 1962, and shortly after, Sharon and Lloyd moved to Fort Worth, Texas, and Sharon gave birth to a second daughter, Mary in 1965.  They continued to live in Texas until 1975, when they relocated to the Chicago area, where they continued to live until 2007, when they retired and moved back to Texas, now living at the Robson Ranch in Denton.  Over the years, Sharon's passion for art, expanded into volunteer opportunities including the Field Museum in Chicago, and she later joined local weaving and spinning groups in Evanston, and helped to weave fabric to build a yurt.  Her other passion was fundraising, and she became the Executive Director of the Cancer Research Foundation in Chicago, where she built the Foundation from $800,000 to over 7 million during the span of her career.  She worked tirelessly for over 20 years, during which the Foundation awarded grants in excess of $20 million.

Mrs. Swanson is survived by her best friend and husband Lloyd Swanson of Denton, TX, two daughters Cindy (George) Rissky of Ponca City, OK, Mary (Randy) Rosenthal of Glenview, IL, and grandchildren Thomas, Meghan, Charlotte, and Ally.

A memorial service will be held Sunday September 21st, 2pm, at the Robson Ranch Clubhouse, with Rev. Kory Knott, officiating..  In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to the Sharon Swanson Memorial Foundation, c/o The University of Chicago, Ben May Cancer Institute, Office of Medical Center Development, 1170 E. 58th Street, Chicago, IL  60637  Attn:  Nicole Genovese