January 2, 1938 – January 23, 2020
at the age of 82 years

Born on January 2nd, 1938 in Edmonton, Alberta, Geraldine Sylvia Swan passed away peacefully in her sleep at Bastion Place in Salmon Arm, BC, on January 23, 2020 at the age of 82 years. 
Her final days were spent surrounded by her beloved family and friends and were filled with love, laughter, tears and singing. 
Geraldine moved to England with her family at the beginning of World War II, where she lived in a home for girls with her sister, Marion. In 1948 she and her family returned to Canada by sea, where she would grow up in Beverly, on the outskirts of Edmonton. At the age of 16 she was crowned ‘Beverly Teen Queen’. 
At 25 she met her husband, Colin Evan Swan – a handsome 35 year-old who had spent his twenties and early thirties leading seismic crews in Algeria and Venezuela. Gerry and Colin shared 45 wonderful years together, filled with many memories – most of those years spent on a farm in Rose Prairie (a farming community near Fort St. John, BC). 
Colin and Gerry were blessed with five children:  Burton, Cheryl, Janis, Robert, and Daryl. Spending 34 years in the Peace River country, the Swans built many life-long friendships and were leaders in their home church – Rose Prairie Gospel Tabernacle, where Colin was an elder and later pastor, and Gerry was a school teacher at Rose Prairie Christian Academy. After retirement, Colin and Gerry moved to Salmon Arm, BC in 2006 to be closer to family. 
Over the years Gerry’s warmth and love for people was evident in her home. There was always room for one more at the table or around the Christmas tree. Even strangers would find themselves with a hot bowl of her famous homemade soup – made of whatever she could find in the refrigerator! 
Geraldine spent her final years at Lakeside Manor where she enjoyed the community and friendships of many. She loved playing Scrabble with her sister Marion, Saturday drives with her brother John, time spent with her children and grandchildren and great-grandchildren, horses, ice cream and a good belly laugh. More than anything, she loved people. 
She is survived by her children, grand children and great grand children: Burton Swift (son – John), Cheryl Sczebel (husband Jerry, children – Greg, Tanisha and husband Jamie, children – Justus, Rooney), Janis Rutschmann (husband Ralf, children – Shelby, Destini-Rae, Micah), Robert Swan (children – Kevin (wife Jaime, son Emmett), Christine Elsdon (husband Dan, daughter Amelia), Miranda, Brayden, Tiandra) and Daryl Swan (wife Michelle, children – Jared, Curtis), her sister Marion Palecheck (husband Neil), and her brother John Timmers. 
Special thanks to the kind staff at Lakeside Manor, Dr. Kirkman, Bastion Place and all those involved that made her last days comfortable and enjoyable. 
She will be greatly missed.