Steven Peter Swanson

The family of Steven Peter Swanson, 73 announces his passing on Sunday, Dec. 10, 2023, in Fort Myers, Florida.

Steve was born on Dec. 5, 1950, to Oscar and Lillian Swanson, then of Storm Lake. The family moved to Spencer in 1956 where he grew up.

He graduated from Spencer High School in 1969. He then attended the University of Iowa, where he earned his B.A. degree in Political Science in 1973. Steve continued to further his education at Iowa, earning his master's in accounting and law degree in 1976.

In the summer of 1967 Steve met the love of his life, Julie Cory, at Lake Okoboji.

They were married in Spencer on Aug. 10, 1974. After passing the Iowa Bar in 1976, Steve and Julie moved to Burlington, where he practiced law at Dailey, Dailey, Ruther, Bauer and Schulte. The firm would eventually be renamed to Lawyers: Swanson, Gordon, Benne, Clark & Kozlowski, where Steve was a Senior Partner until his retirement in 2014.

Steve was an active member of the Burlington community, serving roles on the boards of the Burlington Library Foundation, the Burlington YMCA, Hope Haven, and the Special Needs Foundation.

He was a past member of the church council of Messiah Lutheran Church in Burlington, served on the Finance Committee for the Fiddlesticks Country Club in Fort Myers, and past President of the Burlington Golf Club and the Highlands Homeowners Association for his winter home.

After Steve's retirement, he and Julie escaped the Iowa winters and became snowbirds in Fort Myers. There, he enjoyed many rounds of golf while living in the Fiddlesticks Golf community. They were amid relocating permanently from Burlington to Fort Myers, where Steve looked forward to perfecting his golf swing, when he passed away unexpectedly.

If Julie was the love of his life, Steve's son Andy, born in 1978 and Brice, born in 1981 were the pride of his life. A stream of human richness proceeded from both as daughters-in-law Beth and Liz joined their family in 2005 and 2007. Four grandchildren would later follow-Madeline in 2010, Alexandra and Lars in 2013 and Annika in 2015.

To understand their place in Steve's life, one need only to look at any picture of him with any one of the grandchildren. If golf had any competition in Steve's life, it was his grandchildren.

Steve was the rock of the Swanson family. He was not a fan of board games or card games, but he would play endless rounds of UNO Attack or the Ladybug game with the grandkids.

Steve enjoyed cooking with Julie and had become quite the chef with one of his specialties being delicious corn chowder. He had a wonderful sense of humor and inherited the famous Swanson laugh that carries on in his two boys.

Steve is survived by his wife of 49 years, Julie of Burlington; his sons Andrew (Liz) of Sterling, Virginia, and Brice (Beth) of Blythewood, South Carolina; his grandchildren Madeline, Alexandra, Lars and Annika; his brothers Michael (Judith) Swanson of Lake Oswego, Oregon, and Charles (Kim) Swanson of Coralville, his brother-in-law, William (Betty) Cory of Manning, South Carolina, and numerous nieces, nephews, extended relatives and friends.

Steve was preceded in death by his parents, Oscar and Lillian Swanson, his sister Rebecca Gould, his parents-in-law Dr. Max and Lois Cory, and brother-in-law, Max Cory Jr.

A celebration of Steve's life will be held on Friday, Dec. 29, from 2-4 p.m. at the Burlington Golf Club.

A private burial will be held at a later time.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Steve's memory to the Burlington Library Foundation or the Burlington Area YMCA.