Cherry Shaw Swords, 96, died peacefully in her sleep at hospice in

Branford, CT, on January 7, 2014. Born in Rye, NY, on July 15, 1917,

to Guthrie and Virginia Thorne Shaw, she graduated from the Ethel

Walker School and Sarah Lawrence College. During World War II, she was

a volunteer driver for the Red Cross. She married Gerard S. Swords of

New York City in March of 1943. They shared 38 years together in New

Haven, CT, as part of the Yale community, until his death in 1981.

She appreciated nature and design, from nurturing the roses in her

backyard to supporting The Nature Conservancy to arranging flowers

with The Garden Club of New Haven, where she was an active member

since 1951. She enjoyed tennis, skiing, sailing, and swimming in Long

Island Sound. She is remembered for her friendship, and for her love

and devotion to her family. She is survived by her daughter, Susan

Swords Stevens of Hamden, CT, her granddaughter, Virginia Stevens of

Jackson Heights, NY, and her grandson, Peter Swords Stevens of San

Francisco, CA. In lieu of flowers, donations in her memory can be made

to The Garden Club of New Haven at P.O. Box 6197, Hamden, CT 06517. Arrangements are with the Hawley Lincoln Memorial.