February 1, 1946 – December 17, 2013
at the age of 67 years

Celebration of Life:  May 3, 2014, 1:00 p.m. Kingfisher Community Hall, Enderby, BC

Joe Swanson was born February 1^st, 1946 in Kansas City, Missouri to Willard Harold and Mary Virginia Swanson nee Stanley and was the eldest of nine children.  He died almost instantaneously at the age of sixty seven of a pulmonary embolism at his home in Mabel Lake near Kingfisher Hall on December 17^th, 2013.

While putting himself through high school then university working as a tutor and various other jobs, Joe met his one and only love, Mary Madonna Martin who he married on December 10^th, 1966.  Joe attained a Master’s Degree in Business Administration in 1969 at the University of Washington after successfully completing his thesis titled, “The Effects of Mergers on the Determinants of Per Share Values”.  With their two children, Michael and Erik, Joe left an executive position with Gillette in the United States to move to the Lumby area near Vernon, BC.  They migrated to Canada July 4^th, 1974 on a new adventure that suited this gentle giant of a man who was truly a carpenter at heart than a manager of an accounting department of a large company.   In Canada, Joe was employed with BC Hydro for a number of years.

Joe’s legacy to his family is the timber frame house he built with the old Enderby Street Bridge when it was demolished that he purchased for fifty dollars.  Joe built the home himself with Mary and the boys help and it is fitting that he lived and died in his home.   However, his greatest legacy can be found in the characters and morals of his two sons who carry with them the teachings of honesty, kindness where kindness may not even be due, and trying to do the right thing for those in need who cross their paths in life.  His sons share and value Joe’s keen sense of fairness, social justice, and truth.

Joe is greatly missed by Mary, his eldest son Michael and wife Raechel, his grandchild and apple of his eye Shayla Lee Swanson, and son Erik and Denise.   Joe’s eight younger brothers and sisters residing in the United States have missed Joe since he left for Canada although there have been visits here and there.   In descending birth order, they are:  Dr. Michael John Swanson, Mary Kathryn Minner, Paul Malcolm Swanson, Stephen Stanley Swanson, Mark Gerard Swanson, and Peter Christopher (Chris) Swanson, James William Swanson and Patricia Ann Hurley as well as their respective spouses.  Joe’s nieces and nephews he leaves behind are Jessica Rose, Brittany Katherine and Joshua Watkin Hurley as well as Michelle, Zachary, Daniel and Thomas Swanson.   Joe also has two step-nephews Logan and Brayden, Zachary’s brothers.

A celebration of Joe’s life will be announced at a later date in the spring to allow time for family members to make the necessary arrangements for travel.