Neil Edward Swanson

November 24th 1940 - October 30th 2025

Neil was born in McMinnville Oregon to Lee and Ruth Swanson, along with two brothers, Royce and Lloyd, who have all preceded him in death. He did not graduate high school, but was very proud to have received his high school diploma by completing a course of study at Tacoma Community College in June of 1987.

Neil served in the US army, in Germany, during peacetime. While there he met his first wife Kathleen Kaul. They had two daughters, Linda and Joanne, and lived in Portland Oregon. The marriage ended in divorce within 3 years, and Neil married three more times. His last marriage was to Ruth Bock of Tacoma Washington, and their marriage lasted just shy of 45 years when Ruth passed in August of 2018.

Ruth and Neil ran two businesses, at different times, in the Tacoma area. Ruthie Mae's Pasty Kitchen, dad was always proud of his clam chowder on Fridays, and The Connoisseur Shop.

He was a member of the Boilermakers Union and worked as a welder all over the Pacific Northwest, especially at Dams and at Hanford.

In the army he learned to drive trucks and always wanted to be able to drive truck for a living. In March of 1988 he completed the course at Bates Vocational Technical Institute and drove trucks to his heart's content for several companies, including Gordon, until the mid 1990s.

His relationship with his daughters Linda and Joanne was broken for years due to divorce and misunderstanding. Both daughters remarried in 2007 and reestablished a lasting relationship with their father and were by his side when he quietly passed while listening to "This Masquerade". Dad loved his jazz, especially George Shearing, and was quite a piano player himself.

Neil leaves behind his two daughters, Linda Plamondon, 62, Joanne Ryan,61, both of Vancouver WA, and his niece Kirsten Swanson Barker of Tacoma WA. He also leaves behind a son, Robert Swanson, possibly of Portland Oregon. Sister-in-Law Janet Michaud, 86, of Molalla, OR. And his beloved Aunt Betty, 98, of Portland OR.