Lawrence C. Swanson
Lawrence (Larry) Carl Swanson died at the age of 84 on June 15, 2021 while on a bicycle ride with his wife, Sharyl, in the Black Hills of South Dakota.
Larry was born and grew up in Minnesota and attended the University of Minnesota, graduating in Mechanical Engineering in 1959. He moved to Utah and worked in the aerospace industry, with several year-long stints in Germany and Hungary. He met Sharyl in Germany while they both were working as civilians associated with the military.
Larry lived an adventurous life. He loved riding motorcycles and earned trophies as the Minnesota off-road motorcycle racing champion for four years. In Utah, he served as a ski patrol member at Solitude and Park West ski resorts for over 30 years. He was a small-plane owner and pilot for some 60 years. For Angel Flight, he flew 51 volunteer missions to and from Salt Lake hospitals and Southern Utah and Arizona and, reportedly, he was “the first to step up.” He also flew 52 flights for LightHawk, a conservation flying nonprofit.
He sailed, kayaked, explored Southern Utah and Baja, and avidly cross-country skied through the last snowfall of each season. He accomplished many rock and ice climbs in the Wasatch, Wind River, and Teton Mountains, as well as Mt Rainier in Washington and peaks in Alaska, Canada, Peru, Ecuador, and Bolivia. Larry reached the summit of a high peak in the Pamir Mountains of Tajikistan. With a group of friends, Larry and Sharyl trekked across the high Arctic’s islands of Ellesmere (1989) and Axel Heiberg (1995).
In the US and abroad, Larry and Sharyl put over 19,000 miles on their “take-apart” tandem bicycle. On thirteen overseas trips, they pedaled throughout Europe, Ireland, and the South Island of New Zealand.
Larry was known for his enthusiasm which led him to many adventures and always seemed to carry him through. He often hauled a watermelon in his pack on local hikes for everyone to enjoy on the mountaintop. For 49 years, he established, organized, and led a one-day, round-trip ski tour up Kings Peak, the highest peak in Utah.
Larry was a reader and, after teaching himself to read German, especially enjoyed adventure books in that language. His generosity was manifested in many ways, such as clearing the neighbors’ drives after a snowfall and circling the block with his snowblower to clear the sidewalks. He assisted in various repairs for friends and regularly filled their birdfeeders. Working on the Wasatch Mountain Club Lodge kept him busy over the years. Larry had a very positive influence on his many friends and on the world in general. He touched the hearts of so many and will be missed by all who knew him.
Larry is survived by his wife, Sharyl, his brothers, Don and Steve Swanson, nephew Eric Swanson, cousins Betty Maxe Larson, Harlan Hanson, and other family in Minnesota and Utah, as well as Sharyl’s family in Utah and Washington State.
A Celebration of Life will be held on Saturday, September 18th, from 5-7pm, at the Starks Funeral Parlor, 3651 South 900 East, Salt Lake City, UT. Online condolences may be offered to the family at www.starksfuneral.com. In lieu of flowers, consider a donation to Angel Flight West, LightHawk, or a conservation organization of choice.