Remembering Ruth Miriam Swenson: Advocate, Leader, and Friend
February 21, 1949 – July 22, 2024
by Gary Wunder
With the death of Ruth Miriam Swenson on July 22, 2024, the National Federation of the Blind lost a passionate advocate, a fierce intellect, and a cherished friend. Ruth served as president of the National Federation of the Blind of Arizona from 1987 to 1995 and again from 2001 to 2005, pouring herself into the work as if it were a second full-time job. Her dedication helped shape the Arizona affiliate, giving it new life and purpose. Chapters in the East Valley, Prescott, and Yuma grew under her guidance, and even when those chapters eventually dissolved, her legacy of local leadership and outreach endured.
Born in Chicago on February 21, 1949, and raised in Wilmette, Illinois, Ruth lost her sight while in high school. Her blindness, however, never defined her limits; it revealed her resolve. She earned a bachelor’s degree in education from Northern Colorado University, a master’s degree in special education from Illinois State University, and a law degree from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. In Lincoln, she met her future husband, Jim Sohl, who had volunteered to read for her. The partnership that began with shared print materials grew into thirty-nine years of marriage and professional collaboration. Together they moved to Chandler, Arizona, where Ruth first worked for Community Legal Services before opening her own law firm focused on family law and domestic violence. Jim served as her paralegal, and together they worked to ensure that those most vulnerable had strong, capable representation.
Ruth was tireless in her commitment to justice. Within the Federation, she helped blind vendors win Social Security cases and secure their legal rights and fair earnings. She brought intelligence and clarity to her advocacy, insisting that her accomplishments were the result of hard work and dedication—by someone who, in her words, “happened to be blind.”
She was known to those close to her as a lover of good books, a sharp debater, and a generous host. She cherished conversation, welcomed lively disagreement, and never hesitated to speak her mind. Her son Tony recalls that she was affectionately called “the Bookworm” and that she loved to laugh—even in her final days, when she told him with calm resolve, “I’m ready to go home.”
Faith played a central role in Ruth’s life. As a teenager, she embraced the Bahá’í Faith, and her steadfast belief influenced not only her actions but those of her family as well.
In remembering Ruth Swenson, we celebrate a woman who led with intellect, fought with courage, and lived with conviction. She is gone from our sight but not from our hearts, and the Federation is stronger for the years she gave to us.