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Robert Sward Obituary
June 23, 1933 - February 21, 2022
Resident of Santa Cruz
Beloved poet, friend and father Robert Sward passed peacefully at home surrounded by his family on Feb 21 after a brief illness, at the age of 88. In September 2016, Robert Sward was named Poet Laureate of Santa Cruz County, 2016–2018. He has taught at Cornell University 1964–65, and went on to teach at the Iowa Writer's Workshop, the University of Victoria, and the University of California at Santa Cruz. He won major awards and was a Fulbright Scholar and a Guggenheim fellow, chosen also by Lucille Clifton to receive a Villa Montalvo Literary Arts Award and is the author of over 30 books of poetry, fiction and nonfiction. He has been published widely in numerous anthologies and traditional literary magazines, such as The New Yorker, Poetry Chicago, and The Hudson Review.
He is survived by his daughters, Cheryl, Kamala, and Hannah, and sons Michael and Nicholas, step-kids Heidi, Jonathan, and Elissa, grandkids Maggie, Aaron, Robin, Fjord, Jordi, Kiran, Cygnet, Heron, and great grandson Roscoe. A great grand-daughter is expected on March 15.
There will be a memorial service at the Meder Street home of Robert and Gloria in early June. Details to follow.
View the online memorial for Robert Stuart Sward
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