Kenneth Burdette Swenson

SWENSON
KENNETH BURDETTE SWENSON

was born July 13, 1945 in Rockford, Illinois to the late Gust and Edith Swenson. He died Thursday, March 29, 2007 from complications of skin cancer related to a lung transplant for pulmonary fibrosis in August, 2002.

He finished a Master's Degree in Health Administration from Georgia State University in Atlanta, GA. This included a residency at Roanoke Memorial Hospital in Roanoke, VA. From there he accepted the position of Assistant Administrator of Prince William Hospital. He enjoyed his profession and later became the President and CEO of PWH until his retirement in February, 2000. During his tenure at PWH he served the community as a board member of the United Way, Manassas Rotary, the Greater Manassas Chamber of Commerce, Grace United Church, Evergreen Country Club, Insight, Inc., and Security Bank. He was a member of the Manassas Museum, the Route 66 Partnership, and other steering committees invested in the future of the Manassas community.

Other responsibilities include Chair of the Maryland, Delaware, DC, Virginia Hospital Association, Chair of the Virginia Insurance Reciprocal which wrote malpractice for many hospitals in Virginia. He also served on the Virginia Insurance Reinsurance Board which managed malpractice insurance for hospitals, physicians and lawyers in over ten states. He was chair of another board charged

with offering health insurance through community hospitals.

One of Ken's passions in life was golf. As a junior high and high school student he often played 54 holes of golf in a day as Rockford had an excellent park system which allowed students unlimited golf for $1 per season. Ken won the Boy's City Golf Championship at age 17. He chose to attend the University of Colorado at Boulder for his freshman year of college. But, his father became ill and he needed to return home and enter the work force. Following his father's death he entered the University of Evansville, in Evansville, Indiana where he met and later married Katie Leeper. In April, 1967 Ken was drafted into the US Army and was assigned the First Air Cavalry. The TET Offensive was one of his combat missions.

In addition he loved travel, photography, and genealogy.

He leaves a loving wife, Katie; his daughter, Emily who resides in Bethesda, MD and her husband Daniel Swartz; and a son Eric of Vero Beach, FL and his wife Erin. Other relatives reside in Rockford, Illinois, his sister Mae Christiansen and her husband Rob; a niece Cindy Hunsberger and her husband Chuck; a nephew Ron Swenson and his wife JoAnn; a grand niece Megan Hunsberger; other cousins and boyhood friends. He also leaves a devoted mother-in-law Mary Frances Leeper of Winter Park, FL; sister-in-law Pat Copper and her husband Bob and their family of Atlanta, GA; a brother-in-law Tom Leeper and his wife Margaret and children Angela and Jeff of Lima, IL. He was fortunate to receive a single lung transplant in August, 2002 and has a lung brother in Great Falls, VA.

The family will receive friends 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. Saturday, March 31, 2007 at PIERCE-PRICE FUNERAL HOME, 9609 Center Street, Manassas. Funeral services will be held 3 p.m. Sunday, April 1, 2007 at Grace United Methodist Church, 9750 Wellington Road, Manassas, with Rev. Rudolph E. Tucker, Jr. and Rev. Denise M. Childers officiating. Interment will be private.

The family requests donations to: Golf Bench for Sinissippi Park, Rockford in care of Lloyd McWilliams, 1742 Brookhaven Drive, Rockford, IL 61108, Grace United Methodist Church, 10201 Hendley Rd, Manassas, VA, Evercare Hospice, 8205 Boone Blvd, Suite 401, Vienna, VA 22182, The Lung Clinic Inova Fairfax Hospital, 3300 Gallows Rd, Fairfax, VA. Condolences may be sent to www.pricefh.com.