Wilma Webster Schwada, the wife of former Arizona State University president John Schwada and a Phoenix-area resident and civic leader for 40 years, passed away after a brief illness.

Wilma served for many years on the Board of Directors of Arizona Public Service. She was especially proud of being part of the APS leadership team that supported construction of the Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Facility, one of the largest plants of its kind in the world that continues to provide carbon emission-free electricity to millions of Central Arizona residents.

Wilma was also an active, decades-long member and officer in the P.E.O. Sisterhood program in Arizona. P.E.O. is a non-profit organization founded in 1869 that has provided over $415 million to support educational opportunities and goals for more than 122,000 young women world-wide.

Being the wife of a prominent education leader meant lots of socializing, faculty teas and banquets with alumni, faculty, students and state legislators, and Wilma played the role of a lovely and gracious hostess at hundreds of such events. Behind the scenes, Wilma was a reliable and important sounding board for John.

This couple sat at the kitchen table daily discussing the issues confronting John during his exciting and challenging tenure as president of ASU (1970-1981), the first Chancellor of the University of Missouri (1964-1970) and as Comptroller and Budget Director of the state of Missouri (1958-1961)

Wilma is survived by her two children, four grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. Wilma's husband died in 1990.