Elizabeth Ellen Svoboda

ELIZABETH PETERSON SVOBODA

Elizabeth P. Svoboda, 67, of Puyallup, Washington, died Tuesday, February 14th, 2023, in Good Samaritan Hospital, Puyallup, Washington. She was born July 28th, 1955, in Grafton, North Dakota, the daughter of Carl G. and Dora L. Peterson.  She married Wayne E. Svoboda on June 30, 1979 in Pasadena, California.  She was a resident of Puyallup since 1995 and an active member of Bethany Church in Puyallup.

Beth earned her Bachelor of Arts degree from Mt. Holyoke College, a Bachelor of Science from the University of South Carolina, and a Master of Divinity from Western Seminary in Portland, Oregon. She was ordained by Bethany Baptist Church in Puyallup in 2017 followed by endorsement from Converge International (Baptist General Conference) as a Health Care Chaplain.

She was a member of the Association of Professional Chaplains and the American Association of Christian Counselors.   She worked as a chaplain and board certified pastoral counselor at Life Care Center of South Hill and the Wesley Continuing Care Community.  Within her chaplaincy training she held special certifications in Loss and Grief Counseling and Elder Counseling.

Teaching and Christian ministries were her passions in life.  In the early part of her teaching career, she taught church bible classes in South Carolina, Germany, Washington, and Tennessee as she traveled the world with her Army officer husband.  She taught many years for Precept Ministries International and Bible Study Fellowship International. In her final three years she taught both virtual and in-person sermons for the Sunday morning adult classes at Bethany.

She was an avid reader, writer, thinker, hiker, world traveler, gemologist, biblical scholar and historian, needle pointer, and happiest in the role of wife and mother, as well as caretaker to her Siamese cats Max and Lena.

Beth is survived by her husband Wayne, son Gregory of Redmond, Washington, son Brian of Socorro, New Mexico, and sister Mary-Suzanne (Susie) P. Case of New York City, New York.

A memorial service will be held for Beth Saturday, March 25th at 10:30AM in Bethany Church, Puyallup, with Pastor David Erickson officiating.

Memorials may be made to Converge International, Chaplains Division.  Please leave condolences at powersfuneralhome.com and visit anchor.fm/biblewithbeth or search “The Bible with Beth” to listen to her extensive library of podcast sermons.