Arnold Reber (“A.R.”) Swinnerton, 95, of Tiffin, died at 1:35pm Tuesday, May 20, 2008 at St. Vincent Mercy Medical Center in Toledo. He was born September 28, 1912 to the late Bert and Elizabeth (Camp) Swinnerton in Stoke-en-Trent, England and came to this country at the age of one with his mother and his brothers and sisters. On October 1, 1938, he married Martha Jane Powell in the Old Trinity Episcopal Church in Tiffin and she survives.
Mr. Swinnerton is also survived by two sons, Mr. Eugene Swinnerton of Southfield, Michigan and Mr. Daniel Swinnerton of Brooklyn, Ohio, as well as numerous nephews and nieces.
He was preceded in death by three brothers, Bertram, John and George Swinnerton; and three sisters, Katherine Brady, Elizabeth Bahler, and Gwen Connelly.
Mr. Swinnerton graduated from Warren (Ohio) High School in 1930 and attended Tiffin University for two years. He was then employed by the American Standard Company as an assistant buyer and then as a buyer until his retirement in 1972. He served in the US Army during World War II from 1942-1944 in the European theatre.
He was a member of the First Presbyterian Church for over 50 years. In addition to his work as well as being a husband and father, he was an active writer for over 35 years. His specialty was humor and he sold numerous articles to the Saturday Evening Post, several short stories to Boy’s Life Magazine, a weekly column to the Advertiser-Tribune for over 20 years. He also sold a short book intended for 5-6th graders entitled Rocky the Cat.