THE DAYTONA BEACH NEWS-JOURNAL
Daytona Beach, Florida
July 2, 2019

Stanley Edward Swanson, 94, died Sunday, June 30, 2019 in DeLand.

Mr. Swanson retired after more than 20 years with Southern Bell/Bellsouth. He described himself as a "troubleshooter" specializing in lightning problems, and he was instrumental in laying the first fiber-optic cable in Florida. Before that, he worked at Cape Canaveral (Cape Kennedy) from 1954 to 1969 for RCA and Boeing, from the early stages of the missile program through Gemini and the Apollo moon shot, both at Patrick Air Force Base and the downrange islands.

He enlisted in the Navy at the age of 17. Mr. Swanson served as an electronics technician with Naval Air Transportation in the Pacific during WWII. He remembered working on Mamote in the Admiralty Islands, and watching as a Japanese ship sailed in to surrender Guam.

After marriage and earning a bachelor's in Industrial Engineering at the University of Florida in 1950, he rejoined the Navy as an officer and served as an intelligence officer. LTJG, during the Korean conflict, serving at CINCPAC Fleet Headquarters in Hawaii and aboard ships in the Mediterranean.

Mr. Swanson was proud to be a member of the Scottish Rite Masonry, and received the 32nd Degree. He was a passionate reader and thinker, with a special affinity for the works of C. G. Jung. At one time, he considered becoming a Lutheran minister. For many years, he kept a huge vegetable garden in Crescent City while living and working in Jacksonville during the week.

Born in DeLand, Mr. Swanson was raised in Pierson, lived in the Mediterranean, the Admiralty Islands, Oahu, Hawaii, and Eau Gallie and Crescent City, Florida.

He is survived by five daughters: Carolyn (Mike) Thomas, Sarah (Wade) Kane, Anna Swanson, Chau Do (Duong Nguyen), and Mary K Swanson (David Raistrick), and by his grandchildren, Mary, Greg, Lauren, Mike, Kristin, Vinh, Kim, Alissa and John; Nine Great-grandchildren: Isabel, Elizabeth, James, Zak, Mackenzie, Madison, Marion, Violet and Bella; and one great-great- grandson, River.

He was preceded in death by his wife of 71 years, Mary E. Mayfield Swanson; parents Marion Ashcraft Anderson and Stanley Carl A. Swanson, and grandson, Douglas.

Viewing and visitation will be on Saturday, July 6th at 1:00 pm, with the service following at 2:00 pm at Clayton Frank & Biggs Funeral Home in Crescent City. Military honors will be bestowed at the graveside in Seville Cemetery.

Arrangements are under the direction of Clayton Frank & Biggs Funeral Home, Crescent City, Florida.