Obituary of Gerald Frank Swan

Jerry Swan, 79, died of heart failure on Wednesday, July 29, 2015 at his Olympia home. Jerry was born May 13, 1936 to Walter F. and Audrey (Davis) Swan in Aberdeen, Washington. He grew up near Grass Creek, where his family founded Grass Creek Oyster Company in the 1940s. He graduated from Hoquiam High School in 1954. He then graduated from Washington State College in 1959 with a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering. He worked in various locations in Alaska in the early 1960s. Jerry married Elizabeth Giedt on June 22, 1963 in Seattle, Washington. They returned to Alaska briefly before moving to Bellevue in 1966 and then to Olympia in 1979. Jerry worked as a civil engineer with Kiewit Construction Company from 1961 until 1987, where he worked mostly on complex concrete fabrication. He was especially proud of managing the construction of the Seattle Kingdome’s roof structure in the 1970s. Along with his brother Ed, he continued to manage the Grass Creek Oyster Company until its sale in 2010. After retiring, he and his wife Liz built a home overlooking Zangle Cove near Boston Harbor, where they maintained vegetable gardens, flower gardens, and a small orchard. They traveled widely, visiting China, France, Australia, Peru, and Hawaii. He loved the outdoors, boating, shooting and hand loading, gardening, fishing, clamming, and oyster farming. Jerry is survived by his wife of 52 years, Elizabeth Swan, of Olympia; sons, Jerold (Jay) Swan and wife Kimberly Hannula of Durango, Colorado, Michael Swan and wife Anne of Santa Barbara, California; brother, Edward Swan and wife Shirley of Olympia; and a grandchild, Ian Swan of Durango, Colorado. Family suggests memorial donations to: Gerald and Elizabeth Swan Endowed Scholarship Fund in Civil Engineering, Washington State University, or Providence St. Peter Cardiac Rehabilitation. Please leave memories of Jerry or condolences for his family in the Guestbook below.