George Lee Swanson was born March 2, 1936, in Marshalltown, Iowa, where he enjoyed a humble upbringing instilling a deeply-rooted work ethic and pride in a job well done.  He led a long and happy life until his death, March 15, 2021.

Starting in 1959, he served almost two years in the U.S. military at Dugway Chemical Corps.  There he fell in love with the West and made Utah his home.  He also fell in love with Miss Jackie Huggins, and the two were married on May 11, 1963.  Together they had five children —John, Carol, Steven, Laura, and Nancy.

As a former “flatlander”, George embraced skiing, hiking, mountain climbing, snowshoeing, and riding his bicycle.  Along with friends: Harold, Lyman, Karl, (and perhaps a reluctant child or two), he scaled every peak in the Wasatch Mountains.  An accomplished climber, he took on adventures around the world, including Huascarán, Peru’s highest peak, and Mount Rainier in Washington State.

George was an academic and earned a BA in Science and Biology from Iowa State Teachers College and an MS in Zoology and Entomology from the University of Utah.  He taught science classes at both East High School and at Hillside Middle School in Salt Lake City for many years.  He reportedly had a razor-sharp memory and never stopped learning.

When he retired from teaching, he enjoyed skiing, snowboarding, building and flying model airplanes, and exploring every alley, street, and avenue of Salt Lake City on foot.  He was in excellent physical condition, often eating lettuce for a snack!  George was a subject matter expert on public transportation, and as a responsible environmentalist, took the bus or TRAX whenever possible.  One of his favorite activities was to take the ski bus to Brighton, snowboard for the afternoon, and then (weather permitting) ride his bicycle down Big Cottonwood Canyon all the way home.

George took exceptional care of his wife and loved all his children unconditionally.  They say he made them laugh with his witty, dry sense of humor and was never without a smile.  He died doing what he loved, whistling and walking.