Ronald James "Cooter" Schwent, 64, of Jackson passed away Saturday, July 6, 2019, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau, surrounded by his family and friends.

He was born to the late Welton T. and Frances "Billie" Link Schwent on Sept. 14, 1954, in Red Bud, Illinois. Ron married Marjorie A. Gosche on April 23, 1988, in New Hamburg, Missouri.

He attended St. Mary's Catholic School in Chester, Illinois, and graduated from Chester High School in 1972. He attended Belleville Area College and graduated from Southeast Missouri State University with an associate of arts in nursing in 1982. He graduated from Webster University with a bachelor of science in nursing in 1988. He received his critical care registered nurse certification in 2014.

Ron worked as a registered nurse at SoutheastHEALTH for 37 years, primarily in the intensive care unit. He retired in 2018. Ron spent his career taking care of other people, and now he will continue saving lives as an organ donor.

He was a member of Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Jackson. He was an avid hunter and fisherman. Ron enjoyed barbecuing, gardening, spending time with his buddies and hanging out in his shed with his pet cats.

Survivors include his wife of 31 years, Marjorie Schwent of Jackson; daughter, Allison Jean Schwent of Columbia, Missouri; sister, Jean (Clifford "Butch") Jungewaelter of Chester and their children, Brenda Jungewaelter and the Bethany and Josh Berner family; and a sister-in-law, Carolyn Schwent of Chester.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Welton T. and Frances "Billie" Link Schwent; brother, Gary A. "Club" Schwent; and nephew, Michael "Isaac" Jungewaelter.

Visitation will be from 3 to 8 p.m. today at McCombs Funeral Home and Cremation Center in Jackson. A parish prayer service will be at 7 p.m. today.

Funeral Mass will be at 10 a.m. Wednesday at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Jackson, with the Rev. Randy Tochtrop officiating. Burial will follow in Russell Heights Cemetery in Jackson.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial contributions to Immaculate Conception Catholic Church Building Fund or SoutheastHEALTH Foundation Nursing Scholarship Fund in memory of Ron Schwent.

Online condolences may be sent to the family at www.mccombsfuneralhome.com.