Dr. Ryan Swift

1978 - 2018

Dr. Ryan Robert Swift died unexpectedly at home on Aug. 14, 2018, in Portland, Ore., at the age of 40.
Ryan is survived by his beloved wife, Jessica Swift; their 3-year-old son, Coen Ryan; parents Bob and Barbara Swift of Palos Verdes, Calif.; brother Tim Swift, of Escondido, Calif.; brother Jonathan Swift of Hawthorne, Calif.; and aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces and nephews.
Ryan was born on Jan. 13, 1978, in Arlington, Va., to Bob and Barbara Swift. In 1981, the family moved to Las Vegas, N.M., where Ryan spent his formative years growing up.
Upon graduating from Robertson High School in 1996, he moved north to attend the University of Colorado at Boulder, where he earned a B.S. degree in Biology. Back on the East Coast a few years later, he graduated with the highest of honors from the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine /Georgia Campus, after which he relocated back west and settled in to Portland to complete a residency program in Internal Medicine at Oregon Health Sciences University.
Along the way, he married his longtime love, Jessica Gonacha, an artist, in 2009. They had their first child, Coen Ryan, in 2015.
Ryan worked as a hospitalist at Legacy Mt. Hood Medical Center. By all accounts, he was an accomplished physician, well-respected by his colleagues and beloved by his patients.
Ryan was also an avid skier, hiker, camper and fisherman. Drawn to the great outdoors his entire life, he cherished spending time in the mountains and on the ocean.
At home, Ryan was an aspiring and self-taught woodworker and shared a passion for gardening with his wife and son.
A memorial is scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 22, 2 p.m. at the Riverside Golf and Country Club, 8105 NE 33rd Drive, Portland, Ore. All are welcome to attend and celebrate Ryan's life.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Ryan Swift Memorial Fund on behalf of Jessica and their children, found here: gofundme.com/ryan-swift-memorial-fund.