Vivienne Lorraine Ervin Arnold Swanton

Vivienne Lorraine Ervin Arnold Swanton passed to her eternal home on Friday, September 6, 2019. Vivienne joyfully celebrated her 100th birthday with family and friends in April, 2018.

A West Virginia native, Vivienne was a born educator, a high school teacher of all sciences in West Virginia and New Mexico, and assistant principal of Sandia High School for many years, as well as principal at Grant Junior High. In May 1955, her beloved first husband, George Jackson “Jack” Arnold, of Arnold, WV, died suddenly of a heart attack at age 47, while she was teaching in the chemistry lab at Walkersville High School in WV.

She was married to her second husband, Joseph Michael Swanton of Casper, WY for 28 years until he died during heart by-pass surgery in Albuquerque.

In 1996, Vivienne met George Henry “Pat” Etheredge in Albuquerque whom she later married.

Vivienne is survived by her loving husband, George “Pat” Etheredge; her daughter, Sharon Arnold Mihnovets, previously of Albuquerque, currently of Arlington, VA; and her granddaughter, Dr. Nicole Mihnovets, of New York City. Vivienne is also survived by 14 loved and loving nieces and nephews and their children; as well as hundreds of former students to whom she dedicated her life (nearly one hundred of them sent her birthday cards last year.)  Also surviving Vivienne are Pat's daughter, Michelle; and grandsons, Jason and James.  Pat's grandson, Pat, preceded her in death.

After her first two undergraduate years at West Virginia Wesleyan, she took her B.S. and M.S. degrees from West Virginia University, and then taught physics, biology and chemistry at Weston High School where she herself had graduated. She took several courses toward her Doctorate degree at the University of New Mexico, and was a dedicated member of Alpha Delta Kappa education sorority, and Pi Lambda Theta honorary society.

She is a 50-plus year member and Past Worthy Matron of a New Mexico Chapter of the (Masonic) Order of Eastern Star, and an even longer member of Central United Methodist Church in Albuquerque.

A reception to celebrate Vivienne’s life will be held at the family home on Wednesday, September 11, 2019 from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.