Clifford "Barry" Swenson

Barry Swenson, beloved husband & father, friend, real estate developer, general contractor, outdoorsman, farmer, cattleman, and guy in the white hat, passed away on April 19, 2025, leaving behind a legacy of love, grit, and joy in life's simple moments.
Born with a heart for adventure in the Evergreen neighborhood of San Jose, Barry found his truest self in the outdoors, where he hunted, hiked, fished, and tilled the land with a passion unmatched. He graduated from James Lick High School in 1957 and went on to attend San Jose State University, including a semester abroad at Canberra University in Australia. The California hills and ranches were his sanctuary, and he shared that love with anyone willing to pull on their boots.
Barry was a pioneer who could endure the sting of an arrow in the back, yank it out, and keep riding without losing speed. He had a loyal, witty, and diverse posse always riding right behind him. Tough sometimes. He gave opportunity to anyone bold enough to take it. He gave everyone around him the chance to grow, offering support without judgment and cheering the loudest for those who dared to try again. He built a company alongside these people that has endured for over 45 years. His faith in others transformed lives, though he would always say they transformed him.
Alongside his devoted wife, Molly, Barry built a remarkable life in San Jose, continuing the legacy of his parents and grandparents. In his beloved city, they raised a family, built a thriving business, and gave back to a community that had given them so much. As a visionary real estate developer and general contractor, Barry shaped Downtown San Jose's landscape in a way that respected the past and looked toward the future. He believed in redeveloping architecturally significant buildings, not tearing them down; he recycled buildings long before anyone recycled bottles and cans. Together with Molly, he also flourished as a farmer and rancher. He acquired farms and ranches throughout California and New Zealand and spent countless hours studying soil, water, crops, and cattle. He most loved working with the crew on those ranches and would often spend weeks during harvest driving swathers and bailers and attending roundups. Barry would ride a bit, but he felt his most important job was to make sure the beer was cold and plentiful for the cowboys.
Barry was a father who anchored his family with an unwavering presence. He was home every night to sit at dinner and share stories about everyone's daily happenings, where laughter and stories flowed as freely as the meal, always home-cooked by Molly. He believed in celebrating life's small victories-each one met with his signature outstretched hands and an exuberant "YAHOO" that could light up a room. His laughter was plentiful and contagious. Yet, Barry's tender side shone through in quiet moments, as he was often moved to tears by the raw emotion of cowboy poetry or the heartfelt strains of a western song, revealing a soul deeply connected to life's joys and sorrows.
Barry is survived by his loving wife, Molly; devoted children Tamara Current (Jeff), Becky Menne (Martin), and Case Swenson (Lisa), and his grandchildren: Hunter Current (Sarah), Hannah Gamelin (Jared), Kate Massura (Chad), Mallory Menne, Bridget Menne, Sloane Swenson and Roark Swenson. And his great-grandchildren, Collins Current, Shepard Current, Delta Current, Rhodes Gamelin, and Greta Gamelin. Heartfelt thanks to his caregivers, Yesse Carballo, Jose Salazar, and Yeshi Abdo, for their kind hearts and loving hands for many years. His memory will live on in every trail hiked, every field tended, every building raised, every tear shed to a soulful song, and every small victory celebrated with outstretched arms, thumbs up, and a big "YAHOO."
A Funeral Service will be held. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to The Children's Discovery Museum, 180 Woz Way, San Jose, CA 95110, or The Stroke Awareness Foundation, 2516 Samaritan Drive, Suite E, San Jose, CA 95124 "Welcome to Heaven, cowboy, your entry fees are paid."
St. Claire Club, NAIOP, ECV Stroke Awareness and CDM