Blossom Marie Swanson Laing

Blossom M. Frakes Swanson Laing, of Topeka, Kansas, passed away peacefully on January 17, 2026.

Blossom was born on January 28, 1939, in Wichita, Kansas, to Robert Finley Frakes and Mildred Ewing Frakes, and was raised in Lawrence, Kansas. She graduated from Lawrence High School in 1956 and attended the University of Kansas, where she met her first husband, Wayne Swanson. They were married in 1957 and shared nearly fifty years together until his passing in 2006. In 2010, she married Richard Lee “Dick” Laing, who preceded her in death in 2018.

Blossom was a woman of quiet strength, grace, and kindness. She was deeply devoted to her family and touched the lives of many who remember her with love and admiration. She was known for her beautiful smile, her gentle spirit, and her unwavering resilience.

A lifelong Jayhawk, Blossom was a season ticket holder for KU football and basketball and a longtime supporter of the Williams Educational Fund. She was an accomplished and passionate miniaturist, creating intricate dollhouses and room vignettes in 1/12th scale, and she taught and attended miniature conventions for many years. She also enjoyed tole painting, quilling, decoupage, and other crafts. An avid duplicate bridge player, she belonged to several ladies’ bridge clubs in Topeka.

Blossom was an active member of P.E.O. Chapter DF in Topeka and a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution. In 1987, she received the Clodfelter Regional Volunteer of the Year Award in recognition of her outstanding leadership and service as a KU alumni network leader.

She had a lifelong love of the color pink, inspired by her grandmother’s Victorian home. Her home, her décor, her Christmas tree, and even her wardrobe often reflected this signature color that so perfectly captured her warmth and femininity.

She is survived by her son, Brent Swanson of Huntington Beach, California; and her daughter, Beth Swanson (Kevin Rowe) of Saint Joseph, Missouri; her sisters, Becky (Bob) Hermann of Wichita, Kansas, and Debbie Frakes (Steve Clegg) of Evanston, Illinois.

She is also survived by her beloved grandchildren: Brianna (Justin) Camm, Westley Swanson, Mackenna Rowe, Caitlin (Zach) Buehrer, Rachael (Sam) Horrell, and Kelley Rowe; and by her great-grandchildren and several nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her husbands, Wayne Swanson and Richard “Dick” Laing; and her cherished grandsons, Ryan Rowe and Michael Wayne Rowe.

Honoring Blossom’s wishes, a funeral service will be held at Penwell-Gabel Funeral Home in Topeka at 11:00am on Saturday, January 24, 2026. She will be laid to rest at Memorial Park Cemetery.

Flowers are welcome.