George Swan

June 1, 2012

George Andrew Swan (Swannie), 62, of Hanover Township, passed away Friday, June 1, 2012, at the Wilkes-Barre General Hospital. Recently diagnosed, he was fighting a brave battle with cancer. He was born in Wilkes-Barre on January 24, 1950, a son of the late Henry and Dorothy Kuhl Swan, and a grandson of the late Anna and Andrew Kuhl. Swannie's greatest joys and proudest accomplishments in life were his family and his service to his country. Swannie loved the life he created with his family. He is survived by his high school sweetheart and wife of 42 years, Jenys Casterline Swan; daughters, Amy (Russell) Wren, Shavertown; Allison (Mike) Dagen, Pittsburgh, and Hillary (Mike) Gasper, Hanover Township. Throughout his life, Swannie's wife and daughters always knew he could be counted on to do anything for his family. Swannie was a devoted and loving "Pop" to his six grandchildren, Michael and Mackenzie Gasper, Riley Wren, and Bode, Cali and Kai Dagen. Much to his delight, most of his days were spent creating memories with his grandchildren. This not only brought great joy to his life, but theirs as well. He was his family's hero. Swannie attended GAR High School, leaving at age 17 to voluntarily enlist for military service. He proudly served his country from 1967 to 1969 in the Marine Corps, 1st Division Infantry. He was a machine gunner stationed in Da Nang, Vietnam. While he was in Vietnam, he was awarded both a Presidential Citation and a Purple Heart. He was his country's hero. Swannie received an associate degree from Luzerne County Community College and attended King's College. He was employed by the City of Wilkes-Barre for 23 years and the U.S. Postal Service before his retirement. He is also survived by his sisters, Nancy (Alan) Davis, Mary (Tom) Kerpovich and Judy Marasky; sisters-in-law, Nancy Gittens, Sharon (Frank) Yanulevius, Holly (Luke) Colleran, Cindy (Angelo) DeSanto; aunts, Eleanor Loftus and Ruthie Gavin; and several cousins, nieces and nephews. His family would like to extend their sincere appreciation to everyone who aided in his care, and especially to Dr. Patrick Kilduff, whom Swannie considered not only as a physician, but also as a caring friend. A private family memorial and deserving military service will be held at the Lehman Family Funeral Service Inc., Wilkes-Barre, on Tuesday, June 5. Memorial contributions may be made to Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund, http://www.vvmf.org . One of his favorite Elvis songs was "Walk a Mile in My Shoes." It began, "You never stood in that man's shoes, or saw things through his eyes, or stood and watched with helpless hands while the heart inside you dies. So help your brother along the way no matter where he starts, for the same God that made you, made him too, these men with broken hearts." Semper Fi, George "Swannie" Swan. You will be sadly missed and live forever in our hearts and memories.