Belleair - Ruth Binnicker Swann Eckerd, child advocate and patron of the arts, passed away July 18 at her summer home in Highlands, N.C. She was 84.
Mrs. Eckerd was born in Tampa in 1922. She was the daughter of banker, Richard J. Binnicker and wife Lois. She attended Florida State University in Tallahassee. After graduating, she returned to Tampa and married James Terrell Swann, Jr.
While living in Tampa, Mrs. Eckerd was an active member of the Junior League of Tampa and served on its board. In 1941, she was crowned Tampa's Queen Gasparilla XXXIII with Mr. Swann serving as King. She remained Queen through World War II.
The couple had three children before Mr. Swann's death in 1955.
Mrs. Eckerd married Jack Eckerd, a father of two and founder of the Eckerd Drug Store chain in 1957, and moved to Clearwater. The couple had two children of their own.
Jack Eckerd died in 2004 at age 91. Mrs. Eckerd is survived by her seven children and their spouses, 17 grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren. She was a member of the congregation of Peace Memorial Church, in Clearwater and also of Highlands Methodist Church, in Highlands, N.C.
Mrs. Eckerd served on the Board of Directors of the Eckerd Family Foundation, Eckerd Youth Alternatives, Ruth Eckerd Hall, and the Morton Plant Mease Hospital Foundation. In addition, she also volunteered her time to the Meals on Wheels Program and mentored children having reading difficulties.
Her passion for helping children was inspirational to many, and perhaps Mrs. Eckerd's greatest legacy. In 1968, she and Jack co-founded Eckerd Youth Alternatives (EYA), a not-for-profit organization that strives to help at-risk youth.
In a statement from EYA, staff members said: "Jack and Ruth Eckerd were a remarkable couple - our leaders, our mentors, our visionaries and our champions for children. We are honored to have them as our inspiration, and we recognize the legacy they leave is enormous. Although their work on earth is now done, we will never forget what Chief Jack said so many times - "It's all about the kids." Every decision at EYA is and always will be guided by the Eckerd's over-riding mandate that the kids should always come first."
EYA is considered one of the nation's leading providers of services for troubled youth. Since the Eckerd's founded EYA, more than 69,000 young people have been helped in 40 locations throughout eight states including, Florida, North Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee, Ohio, Vermont, Rhode Island and New Hampshire. Currently, EYA serves nearly 10,000 children annually.
Said Karen V. Waddell, EYA's president & CEO, "Mrs. Eckerd was not only a mother to seven children, but also a role model to the more than 70,000 children that EYA has helped since 1968. She was generous to them and the EYA staff alike, and I never saw her happier than when she was visiting kids."
A memorial service for Mrs. Eckerd was held Saturday, July 22 at the Highlands United Methodist Church in Highlands, N.C. Additional arrangements are pending.
Those wishing to make a memorial donation may consider the following Clearwater, Florida based organizations: Community Pride Child Care, Eckerd Youth Alternatives Scholarship Fund, and the Ruth Eckerd Hall Educational Fund.