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Carl ‘Dick’ Swanson Obituary – 6/16/2015


Carl R. “Dick” Swanson, age 81, of St. Michael, formerly of Cokato, died Tuesday, June 16, 2015, at Arc on the River Hospice in Anoka.

A memorial service will take place Sunday, July 12 at 2 p.m. at Word of Peace Lutheran Church, 21705 129th Ave. N., Rogers. There will be visitation one hour prior to the service at the church.

Memorials are preferred to the Greater Lake Sylvia Assoc., P.O. Box 41, Annandale, MN 55302, or lakesylvia.org/Donations.

Carl was born April 22, 1934, in Cokato. His father, and grandfather before, owned the town furniture store and what is now the Swanson-Peterson Funeral Home. Both his father and grandfather were named “Carl,” so family and friends called him by his middle name: Richard, or “Dick.”

He graduated from Gustavus Adolphus College in 1956, and served our country as a first lieutenant in the Marine Corps, based in Okinawa.

Carl worked in the fiberglass and plastic industry for 25 years, owning and operating Swanson Fiberglass Repair for many of those years.

One of his passions was preventing the spread of invasive plant species in Minnesota lakes. As president of the Minn. Lakes Association, he testified before the Legislature in support of the milfoil bill. That legislation became law, helping to protect of our lakes today.

He also served a number of terms as the president of the Greater Lake Sylvia Association, continuing to work to prevent the spread of invasive species.

Besides his love of lakes, Carl enjoyed volunteering at Word of Peace Lutheran as a reader, greeter, and a deep bass singer in the choir. His love of music carried over to singing in the Three Rivers Choral, and serving as its board president.

Dick was a loving husband and father, and will be missed by his family. He is survived by his wife of 50 years, Jean; brother David (Joanne); sons Peter (Anna), and Erik (Paula); and grandchildren Wyatt, Mei Bryn, Carl and Frederick.

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