A celebration of his life was held at Lakewood Memorial Park on Saturday for Charles Kenneth Swanson, 59, of Modesto. He died June 21, 2010 in a plane crash in Calaveras County.
Mr. Swanson was born Aug. 29, 1950 in Albuquerque, N.M., where he lived until moving to California in 1972. Chuck and his wife Bonnie owned Design Metals, a metal fabrication business in Keyes for the past 23 years. Chuck was a private pilot who enjoyed flying around the western states. He enjoyed traveling to the Oregon sand dunes, playing his sand rail. Chuck was treasurer of the Modesto Area Pilots Association, a member of the Modesto Elks Lodge, and a former president of the Association for Facilities Engineering.
He leaves behind his wife of 32 years, Bonnie Swanson of Modesto; two children, Scott Swanson of Los Angeles, and Melissa Swanson Fifield of San Francisco; his sister, Betty Prince of Leander, Texas; and his brother, Guy Shephard of Farmington, N.M. He was preceded in death by his father, Kenneth "Charlie" Shephard and mother, Margaret Swanson and sister Sandra Lierley.
Remembrances may be sent to the Civil Air Patrol Lt. Col. Arthur King Composite Squadron 50, P.O. Box 1434, Modesto, CA 95353-1434; or to Community Hospice Foundation, 4368 Spyres Way, Modesto, CA 95356.
-Ceres Courier/ June 23, 2010
Mr. Swanson was born Aug. 29, 1950 in Albuquerque, N.M., where he lived until moving to California in 1972. Chuck and his wife Bonnie owned Design Metals, a metal fabrication business in Keyes for the past 23 years. Chuck was a private pilot who enjoyed flying around the western states. He enjoyed traveling to the Oregon sand dunes, playing his sand rail. Chuck was treasurer of the Modesto Area Pilots Association, a member of the Modesto Elks Lodge, and a former president of the Association for Facilities Engineering.
He leaves behind his wife of 32 years, Bonnie Swanson of Modesto; two children, Scott Swanson of Los Angeles, and Melissa Swanson Fifield of San Francisco; his sister, Betty Prince of Leander, Texas; and his brother, Guy Shephard of Farmington, N.M. He was preceded in death by his father, Kenneth "Charlie" Shephard and mother, Margaret Swanson and sister Sandra Lierley.
Remembrances may be sent to the Civil Air Patrol Lt. Col. Arthur King Composite Squadron 50, P.O. Box 1434, Modesto, CA 95353-1434; or to Community Hospice Foundation, 4368 Spyres Way, Modesto, CA 95356.
-Ceres Courier/ June 23, 2010
