May 8, 1924 - November 1, 2020
Alice Ruth Sweeney passed away November 1, 2020 at the age of 96. Ruth was born in Pittsburgh, PA on May 8, 1924 to Phineas J. Shaffer and Ruth A. Shaffer. She grew up and attended school on the South Side of Pittsburgh, graduating from South High School. After school, she and her sister Jane Carlisle (deceased) worked various jobs. One of Ruth’s favorite jobs was working for an exclusive women’s clothing store, where she acquired a very stylish wardrobe. Yes, Ruth was a fashionista of her day!
On June 3, 1950, in Munhall, PA, Ruth married Vincent P. Sweeney Jr. and shared the next 64 years with him. After living in Sidney, NE and Casper, WY, Ruth and family moved to Broomfield, CO in 1957 (they were some of the first residents of Broomfield) and lived in her beloved home until 2015. She spent her final years at Keystone Place in Westminster, CO. Ruth and Vincent were original parish members of Nativity of Our Lord Church in Broomfield, and continued to be active members for 48 years.
She was a stay-at-home mom until her kids were in school, and then went back to work for Boulder Valley School District as a para educator in special education at Emerald Elementary in Broomfield. She loved her job and the kids she worked with, and retired after 14 years of service. Ruth was an avid reader and enjoyed crocheting, knitting, sewing, embroidery, rug making and cake decorating. She was also a member of a rosary making group at her church, making countless rosaries for various missions and creating beautiful rosaries for friends and family. Ruth loved to watch and listen to Rockies baseball games with Vince, and she never missed an episode of Jeopardy, playing along with the contestants. She enjoyed nothing more than spending time with her family, and loved being Nana to her granddaughter Emily when she was a little girl. Throughout the years, it was always a treat for Ruth and Vince to go out to their favorite restaurants to have a good meal and enjoy the company of staff members.
Ruth and Vincent had four children: Barbara A. Claus (Michael) of Lafayette, CO; Edward V. Sweeney of Chandler, AZ; Mark A. Sweeney of San Francisco, CA; Patricia J. Sweeney (deceased). Besides her three living children, she is survived by granddaughters Emily Claus and Caitlin Sweeney; great grandchildren Haley Claus-Mahirka, Donovyn Vang and Olivia Vang. Ruth also had numerous nieces and nephews, including Ruth Trowbridge (Paul) of Westminster, CO. Ruth Sweeney was a wonderful and loving wife, mother, grandmother and great grandmother, and her spirit, laughter and encouragement will be greatly missed. The family would like to thank Compassionate Hospice Care and the staff and caregivers at Keystone Place for the loving care that our mom received. Given the current circumstances with Covid-19, funeral services and burial at Mountain View Memorial Park in Boulder, CO will be held at a future date.
