My dad

 I'll start (for now) with two photos of my dad. One with Livie in 2008, and one with Brenna and Uncle Tom in 2010. 

My dad, Robert Swan, passed away peacefully yesterday morning. He was 94 years old. Or, to be more precise, 34,399 rotations of the earth. 

He was born in Berlin, WI (same as me) one month after Charles "Lucky Lindy" Lindbergh flew solo across the Atlantic in 1927. Calvin Coolidge was President. The Great Depression was over 2 years away.

He graduated valedictorian for his class in 1945, then enlisted in the Navy during WWII, serving out his time at Great Lakes Naval Academy once the war was over. Attended game 7 of the 1945 World Series (for all of you Cub fans out there). 

Went to UW Madison (same as me), graduating in 1950. He started into Law school but decided to join my Grandpa Barney in the fur business, which our town was known for back in those days. That business eventually led him to the Chicago area, where we moved in 1985 days before I started my sophomore year in High School. He retired in 1994, then moved back to Wisconsin, settling in the house in Oshkosh that I am now typing this from in 1995. He lived out the rest of his years here, including a post-retirement career at 4Imprint, where he worked until he was 90 years old. 

Dad was just one of those people who didn't let things bother him too much, was always gentle and kind, and forgiving -- and I think I only heard him curse once (and it was in "french" - when in Paris, he once said "watch out for the merde du chien"). I guess you could say he was a true gentleman. 

Although, at 94, one can expect the end to be near - it still hurts to lose such a positive influence. He just had this way of making you feel like everything was okay. When I found out in the spring of '85, a HS freshman at Berlin High, in the only place I ever knew, that we would be moving to the Chicago area - I came out of the conversation not scared or sad, but hopeful for the future thanks to the gentle way he told me how our move wouldn't be an upheaval, but a great opportunity. And in hindsight, it was. 

This, and so many more stories I can share given time. I'll leave it with these personal anecdotes for now, and follow up later with some more pictures and stories, perhaps. 

Services will be on September 7th, visitation at 9:30 and Mass at 11 at Most Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church (St. Mary Site 605 Merritt Ave) in Oshkosh, WI, for those who can make it. 

That's all for now. Love to you all. Be sure to hold your loved ones close and to tell them you love them early and often. Take care!