Howard E. Swanson's Obituary
Howard Swanson of Muskegon, Michigan, age 93, passed away August 19, 2023. He was born on March 15, 1930, in Chicago to Carl William and Ingeborg (Lorentzen) Swanson. Howard was preceded in death by his two brothers, Carl William and John Alan Swanson, by his first wife Jean Miller Swanson, whom he married in 1953, and daughter-in-law Laurel Albers. He loved and is survived by his wife of 64 years, Marilyn (Hansen) Swanson, and their four children, Mark Howard and son-in-law Jack Moreland of Minneapolis, daughter Lynne Swanson and son-in-law Gary Ralph of East Lansing, son Matthew Frank and daughter-in-law Cindy Visscher of Holland, and son John Thomas and daughter-in-law Robin Swanson of Muskegon; grandchildren, Jesse Matthew Swanson (Marley Swanson), Cassandra Nastase (Kenny Nastase) and Grace Juncaj (Gjeka Juncaj) all of Muskegon, and Ben Swanson-Ralph (Megan MacKenzie) of New York City; great-grandchildren Lucille Grace Nastase, Emilia Rene Nastase and Kasher John Swanson; brother and sister-in-law, Larry Oscar and Tanya Swanson of Kansas City, and sister-in-law Joleen Swanson of El Dorado Hills, California.
Howard attended Senn High School in Chicago, where he and his brother Bill were state football champions in 1947 and 48. He completed his bachelor’s degree from the University of Illinois at Navy Pier, Chicago, where he was on the football, track, and speed skating teams. Howard received his master’s degree from Michigan State University. He taught junior high math, science, and gym for ten years in Fremont, Michigan, where he also served as football coach. Upon receiving his master’s degree, Howard became a School Psychologist with Muskegon Intermediate School District and Mona Shores School District.
Howard was a DIY guy. He loved to build and repair things and undertook to assist his children in remodeling projects in their homes and taught them most of his skills. It's hard for anyone to fully grasp how much house construction and renovation Howard was involved in during his life.
He built the little pink (later white) house in Fremont in which his kids grew up. He built and renovated homes in Fremont, Muskegon, Lansing, and Minnesota. Howard moved and renovated the lake cottage on Lake Michigan to which he and Marilyn moved in the 1980s and where they lived a wonderful life with their children and grandchildren. Much of his life was spent creating his own little construction empire, in his spare time. He built and/or remodeled over a dozen homes for himself and family over the decades.
Howard loved to drive and took his young family on camping trips all over the U.S. during
summers away from teaching in the 1960s and 70s. He also volunteered his time and skills with
organizations, as treasurer for the United Methodist Church in Fremont, and the Binet Institute,
of which he was a founding member. Howard also took his beloved Golden Retriever, Dasher, to visit patients in nursing homes. He was helpful and generous to friends, neighbors, (with Marilyn, he once took in a homeless family walking along the road and found them a job) and was especially generous to his children and family. Howard loved attending his grandchildren’s sporting events, where he was an avid fan, even being expelled from a game at one time for his disagreement with officials. Howard was a charming and friendly guy, always ready with a ‘dad joke’.
Things Howard loved:
His family
Lake Michigan
Attending the Lakeshore Symphony
Taking a drive to the channel
Turkey dinner at House of Flavors
Seafoam candy and ice cream
Making Swedish meatballs at Christmas
Finlandia by Sibelius
Jigsaw puzzles
His beloved hometown, Chicago
Swedish-American roots
Things Howard disliked:
Paying full price
We will miss him every day.
Donations in Howard Swanson's memory can be made to The Nature Conservancy or to United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR). Arrangements by The Sytsema Chapel of Sytsema Funeral & Cremation Services, 737 E. Apple Ave., Muskegon MI 49442. A private memorial service will be held for friends and family.
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