Edward Swift III

1923 - 2017

Edward F. Swift III died peacefully in Lake Forest, Ill., on Jan. 31, 2017. He was 93. Ed was born in Lake Forest on Nov. 1, 1923, the eldest son of Elizabeth Hoyt and Theodore Philip Swift. After graduating from The Hotchkiss School, where he was president of his senior class and captain of the hockey team, Mr. Swift entered Yale University in the fall of 1941. He played goalie for Yale's hockey team in 1942-43, allowing just 1.75 goals against per game, a single-season record for the university that still stands. He entered the army in the summer of 1943, serving as an officer with the 657 field artillery battalion. At the end of the European phase of WWII, Mr. Swift played goalie for the 7th Division ice hockey team while it was stationed in Garmisch-Partenkirken, the site of the 1936 Winter Olympic Games. He received a BA degree in English from Yale in 1947, at which point Mr. Swift joined Swift & Co., the meatpacking company founded by his great-grandfather, Gustavus F. Swift. He worked there for 27 years, retiring as Executive Vice-President and director. Mr. Swift then pursued a career in investment banking, joining The Chicago Corporation as Vice-Chairman, eventually retiring as head of the Chicago office of Lehman Brothers. He also served on the boards of Illinois Tool Works, Santa Fe Industries, Santa Fe Pacific Pipelines, and the Golden Cat Corporation. An avid golfer, outdoorsman, and sports enthusiast, Mr. Swift was a member of numerous charitable organizations. He was the first Chairman of the Northwestern Memorial Hospital board and was named a life trustee of Northwestern University. Mr. Swift was pre-deceased by his younger brother, Phelps H. Swift of Pinedale, Wyo. and his younger sister, Elizabeth H. Bryan of Lake Forest. He is survived by his loving wife of 48 years, Carol Coffey Swift; his four children, Theodore P. Swift of Santa Barbara, Edward M. Swift of New York City, Lockhart M. Swift of McLean, Va., and Elizabeth S. Morris of Gates Mills, Ohio; three step-children, Jay N. Whipple III, Elizabeth W. McKenna, William C. Whipple; nineteen grandchildren; and nine great-grandchildren. A memorial service will be held at 3:00 P.M. on Saturday April 29th at The Church of the Holy Spirit. In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts can be made to The Church of the Holy Spirit, 400 E. Westminster Ave., Lake Forest, IL, 60045 or any charity of your choice. Info: Wenban Funeral Home, www.wenbanfh.com or (847) 234-0022