Carl Leonard Swanson

Carl Leonard Swanson was born Oct. 19, 1923, in Duluth, Minn., and died Dec. 29, 2010, in Spokane with family at his bedside. He was much loved and will be remembered for his gentle spirit, kindness, honesty, faithfulness and welcoming smile. Leonard served in the U.S. Army from 1943 to 1946, with duty as a radio operator in New Guinea and the Philippines. He graduated from the University of Minnesota with an M.A. in industrial psychology. He met his wife, Elaine McCormack, at the university, and they married in 1951. They moved to San Diego, where he was a research psychologist for the Naval Personnel Research and Development Center. They raised two children, a son, Dr. Kim Swanson, Newport Beach, Calif., and a daughter, Carolyn Ringo (Neil) Felgenhauer, Spokane. While in San Diego, he was a member and elder of First Presbyterian Church, a board member of the Peninsula YMCA, and involved with Toastmasters and the Musical Merit Society. After moving to Spokane in 2008, he was an English tutor for the Barton School at First Presbyterian Church Spokane and played violin in the Rubber Band at Rockwood Retirement Community. He enjoyed woodworking, reading, music, traveling, chess, cribbage, playing his violin and being with family and friends. Leonard is survived by his loving wife of 59 years, Elaine; his son and daughter; and nine grandchildren, Liv Ringo of Seattle, Nils Ringo, volunteering in Honduras, and Natasha, Alex, Greg, Edward, Phillip, Timothy and Jonathan Swanson, all of Newport Beach; and two brothers, George (Natalie) Swanson and Jimmy (Alita) Swanson, and a sister Grace (Tommy) Thompson, all of San Diego. He was preceded in death by two brothers, Howard and Douglas, and a granddaughter, Roxanne Swanson. A service celebrating his life will be at The Ridge at Rockwood Retirement Community, 2903 E 25th Ave., 2 p.m. Friday, Jan.14, 2011. Memorials may be made to Barton School, First Presbyterian Church, 318 S. Cedar, 99201 or Spokane Youth Symphony, P.O. Box 9547, 99209, or charity of your choice.