Dr. Jane Ellen Swanson died after 76 years on this earth. She wrung every day dry with the gusto of a zealot. She beat cancer several times, she had diabetes and periods of clinical depression, but she persevered and thrived nonetheless.

On Tuesday, April 23 she died sleeping in her own bed just as she wanted; with several cats at her side and her devoted husband of 54 years puttering in the kitchen. The day before she had called her beloved grandson and chattered gibberish with him over the speaker phone. Her body hurt, and she was often tired, but she would never be deterred from traveling, reading voraciously or making time for others.

Born and raised in upstate New York with her younger brother, William, she was a salutatorian at Newark High School before attending the University of Rochester. She then transferred to Michigan State University, where she met and married Bill Swanson and stayed with him through her PhD studies and the raising of two children.

She traveled the world several times over, became a university professor; taught in China, India, Canada and Scandinavia, she directed several social work and state agencies, bred internationally renowned Norwegian Forest Cats, moved to Old Mission Peninsula and lived a life filled with curiosity and challenges. The world is less colorful after losing a woman so eclectic, irascible, unpredictable, loving, intelligent and utterly complex.

She is survived by her loving husband, Bill; her daughter, Krysti; son, Will; and three grandchildren.

Services will be held at 1 p.m. Wednesday, May 1 at the Unitarian Congregation, 6726 Center Road, Traverse City, MI 49686.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Planned Parenthood (www.weareplannedparenthood.org ) or the Humane Society of Greater Rochester (www.lollypop.org/get-involved/give-today).

The family is being cared for by the Reynolds Jonkhoff Funeral Home.