Martha Leona Swenson, “Marty”, passed away peacefully in her apartment in Olathe, KS, on October 19, 2024, after a long battle with multiple myeloma. She was 76 years old.
Born on May 5, 1948, in Bowling Green, KY, Marty was the oldest of three children born to Robert and Doris (Hunt) Coppersmith. She graduated from Kansas State University with a degree in modern languages and married Richard Swenson in 1969. Marty said her favorite memory was her summer studying abroad in France. After graduation, Marty worked as a French and Spanish teacher in the Ralston School District near Omaha, NE, for 25 years, and Gross Catholic High School for 5 years. She always enjoyed taking students on trips to France and Spain.
Rich and Marty divorced in 1997, and she remained single the rest of her life. Marty moved from Omaha to the Kansas City-area in 2012 to be closer to her three grandchildren. She is preceded in death by her parents, her sister, Teresa Coppersmith, and her brother, Bill Coppersmith. She is survived by her son, Kendall Swenson, her daughter, Christina (Matt) Stewart, and her grandchildren, Jackson, Alex, and Madeline.
No services are planned. In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests you consider donating to multiple myeloma research at lls.org.
