In Passing

Karen Lou Hansen

Karen L Hansen, 78, of PebbleCreek passed away from accelerated Alzheimer’s Wednesday, July 14, 2021, at the memory care facility at Hacienda Del Rey. Karen was diagnosed recently in July 2020, and the disease progressed faster than we could keep up with. She was a beacon of sunshine, support, and happiness to her entire family. She was also an angel supporting her husband, Ron, for 58 wonderful years. Karen combined her love of travel and helping others by becoming a travel agent specializing in cruises. She loved nothing more than helping people see new things and enjoy the world. The travels with the PebbleCreek groups brought joy to so many on so many levels! Prior to that, Karen was a dedicated Customer Service Manager for UPS for 12 years. Karen will be dearly missed by her family and friends and all who had the pleasure of knowing her. She is survived by her husband, Ron; son, Erik; granddaughter, Taylor; and grandson, Jason. There will be a memorial service held at The Church of Litchfield Park on Aug. 28 at 1 p.m.

Maureen E. Johnson Pugsley

Maureen E. Johnson Pugsley was born in Pickering, Ontario, Canada, on June 29, 1944. She passed in Goodyear, Ariz., on July 21, 2021. Preceding her in death were her parents, John Edward (Ted) Johnson and Ellen Dempsey Johnson. She has two brothers, Michael Edward (Catriona) and James William (JoAnne). She celebrated her 50th wedding anniversary with her husband, John W. Pugsley, on July 4. She has two children, Andrea Lee Ratanaproeksa (Tony) and Scott Matthew (Jessica) and four grandchildren: Kate Ratanaproeksa, Tyler Ratanaproeksa, Quinn Pugsley, and Oliver Pugsley.

Maureen graduated from the Toronto General Hospital School of Nursing and practiced in various fields for over 20 years; however, her favorite area was pediatrics. After retiring from nursing, she became a full-time mom and active in various volunteer organizations. She felt called to fill voids that needed to be addressed time after time. While on the Booster Club Executive Board of Huron High School, she completely reorganized the concession allocation process that became a model used by many other schools in the state of Michigan.

While living in Philadelphia, St. Thomas Episcopal Church’s Rectory was empty, but within a few months, the Groton House Book and Gift Store was born. She did all the financial work, buying, and assisted in all the major areas of the store. After four years, the Groton House had over 40 volunteers and became a major resource center for over eight churches in the area. She believed that you should do volunteer work that you love and not what someone else loves. She loved and dedicated herself to the store and to the church.

Maureen and John spent over 10 summers in Bay View, a Christian Chautauqua community in Northern Michigan. While there, she co-chaired a three-year initiative designed to help the community deal with a major conflict impacting the future of the association. One of the Bay View Board Members recently said about Maureen’s contribution, “Your role in the history of Bay View was crucial: Blessed are the peace makers, for they shall be called the children of God.”

Life in PebbleCreek, since 2008, has been full and active. She has been active in the Irish American Club and served as membership chairman for five years. Other interests included: quilting, golf, bridge, travel, and most recently, mahjongg.

More important than all her volunteer work and accomplishments over the years was her love and devotion to her family and friends. During the past few months of her illness, she had received dozens of cards, letters, and tributes from people that she has touched over the years. The best way to capture her life is to share these comments: “You have been God’s light in this world for so many people.” “The imprint you have left with me is huge and I will be forever grateful to you.” “You have inherent qualities of gentleness and kindness, passion and compassion, the clarity of thought and reasoning, your spirituality and beliefs and the love you possess and share are an inspiration and I will continue to aspire to long after your fight is done.” “With your open mind, you radiated inner peace, a peace that was contagious.” “I want you to know what an important and beautiful role you have played in my life.” “Your warm welcoming hugs, your beautiful smile, your laughter are all key markers of who you are.”

A memorial service will be held at a later date in Bay View, Mich. Her place of interment will be in the Bay View Memorial Garden. In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to Christian Leaders for Africa, P.O. 3302, Carmel, IN. 46082. This is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing scholarships for African students desiring a high school or college education.

“Until We Meet Again”

You can leave the family condolences at www.thompsonfuneralchapel.com/obituary/maureen-elaine-johnson-pugsley.

Sybille Astrid Swords

April 13, 1950 – July 28, 2021

Born Sybille Astrid Morgan, Sybille came into this world in the small, wooded hamlet of Hasselhorst just outside of Celle, in Western Germany. Her proud parents were Mr. Bruno Morgan and Mrs. Eliade Morgan (Schulz). She was to be their only, but precious, daughter.

At the age of two, she migrated to a small farm situated between two gently rolling hills just west of Sebastopol, Calif. Where, unlike most children who only read and/or dreamt of animals, every day she lived, played, and even talked with them, naming each of them, even the bull (the beginning of a love of all animals, large and small, to her final breath).

Such was her carefree life until the move to the city, San Francisco; actually, Daly City. There she grew up a typical teenager, like shopping at Stonestown Shopping Center (barefoot) with her friends. But, as everything in life passes quickly, all too soon Sybille was marching to the podium at Westmore High School in 1968 to receive her diploma with bright dreams and the knowledge that in just a few short months she would be attending the University of California, Davis—the beginning of a whole new life and adventure.

It was during her second quarter of her freshman year at Davis she was paired to share a textbook with her eventual partner in life and husband. He was a Junior at the time, in ROTC, and a Maverick Bandsman. At games, she’d sit up in the bleachers with the band, turning his sheet music to not miss a single note. College life was challenging and fun as her husband-to-be and she were totally inseparable.

In the start of her junior year, she moved into an off-campus apartment with three other roommates. Then, that January, Sybille’s husband-to-be received orders for active duty and Vietnam. Within weeks, he presented her with his gold bars (a symbol to share his station in life with) and asked her to marry him, which she enthusiastically accepted. That magic day of June 13, 1971, Miss Sybille Morgan became Mrs. Sybille Swords and traveled to Fort Hood, Texas, where much to the couple’s surprise, his orders were revoked, and new ones issued assigning him to General Staff at Fort Hood.

After active duty, the couple returned home in 1973 to San Francisco, where she finished her degree in 1976 at The University of California, Berkeley. Eventually, Sybille became the front-end manager of a very upscale, high end neighborhood delicatessen and full-service market—Tower Market, where her finely honed gourmet skills were fully utilized. But Sybille also had a natural innate love of people that just radiated from her and made her a natural in customer relations. She loved to be around people and help, as such, volunteered extensively, especially with handicapped children, and was the President of a Homeowners Association in San Francisco.

Sybille retired early at the young age of 55 and moved to PebbleCreek, Goodyear, Ariz. in 2007, a move to enable both to better look after their aging parents.

At PebbleCreek, Sybille had been very active in her arts and gourmet interests. She was a great lover of musicals, live theater, the Opera and the Symphony, and a regular patron of each, as well as a devoted fan of the Forty-niners. She loved food and prepared the cuisine of all nationalities, plus she just loved to dine and experience the culinary wrinkles other chefs made to their preparations. In San Francisco, she was on a first name basis with many of the Bay Area’s top chefs.

Sybille and her husband traveled and cruised extensively from Sydney, Australia to St. Petersburg, Russia, as well as visiting relatives in Europe.

Despite her grace and style, Sybille never forgot her humble roots. She approached life with humility and humor, was soft spoken, and was always generous with herself and her time. She easily made friends. Around 1977, she became a member of the Northern California Samoyed Fanciers Association and owned a line of Champion Samoyeds.

Sybille is survived by her mother Mrs. Eliada Morgan of Surprise, Ariz. and her husband of 50 years, Clifford Swords of Goodyear, Ariz.

A Celebration of Sybille’s Life and services for her will be held at Thompson Funeral Chapel in Goodyear, Ariz. on Sunday, Aug. 29, from 1 to 4 p.m. Those who were touched by her beautiful life and presence are most welcome to join.

You can leave the family condolences at www.thompsonfuneralchapel.com/obituary/sybille-astrid-swords.