Russell Charles Swanson
- 76 years old
- Date of birth: August 28th, 1944
- Place of birth: Fargo, North Dakota
- Date of passing: March 9th, 2021
- Place of passing: Daly City, California, United States
It is very hard to say goodbye to Uncle Russ. His smile genuinely reflects the kindest heart and most humble spirit. He is loved and missed by abundant family and friends, far and near.
It is hard to accept that I will never see Uncle Russ again. I will always think of him with love and remember his sense of humor. I'm grateful for the time I did get to spend with him.
Rest in peace
It was such a pleasure having you in our lives. You became part of our family. You were kind and always put
others before yourself. I am so happy to have gotten to know you and call you my friend . Now that you are
in heaven with my son Dennis you can continue to explain things that he was curious about.
Big brother to my friend and classmate Margaret (Britt), Russ was one of my unsung heros in high school. He was a superb swimmer winning multiple first places in the all-City Meets and co-captain of the team his senior year. He was a big inspiration for my joining the swim team although our ages were just different enough that I never swam with him except at alumni meets. He is missed.
Russ was such fun, kind, big hearted person. I’m so glad that I got to meet him and spend some time with him on Star Island.
I was so glad that Russ was able to come to Star Island. He loved being there. We had some great conversations during social hour about his time in the Navy, his Jeep, and his exhaustive knowledge about building computer chips. He was always friendly and eager to share. I wish we could have spent more time together. I love you, Russ.
My memories of Russ go back to the 60’s. One very distinct memory is the visit I took one UofM spring break to see Kathy, newly settled in DC with her first post-graduation professional government job. Russ was in the navy and took the same week off to also go visit Kathy. While Kathy worked, Russ and I spent hours walking around DC. I insisted on cramming as much into each day as possible, since it was my first time in the nation’s capital. I remember how polite and tolerant he was as I dragged him from the Capitol to the Lincoln Memorial, with endless stops at all the Mall museums. He proudly wore his navy uniform as we toured our national treasures, comporting himself so well as a member of our armed services, always polite, ramrod straight, never complaining, and kind.
Thank you for your service, Russ.
Be at peace.
Joanne MacDonald
By Ann (Midge) Cerny
Russ was my next-door neighbor, and we had a lot of fun playing outside in Alden Square, a park across the street, and reading comics on his porch on a rainy day. We played Moonlight Starlight, Captain May I, and Red-light Green light. We also had leaf forts in the fall. It was the best of times and Russ and Britt made it extra special.
