Steven Peter Swanson, 73, died Sunday, Dec. 10, 2023, at the Gulf Coast Medical Center, Fort Myers, Fla.
Steve was born on Dec. 5, 1950, to Oscar and Lillian Swanson, then of Storm Lake. Oscar & Lillian moved their young family to Spencer, in 1956 where he grew up. He graduated from Spencer High School in 1969. He then attended the University of Iowa, where he earned his undergraduate degree in political science in 1973. Steve continued to further his education at Iowa, earning his master’s in accounting and law degree in 1976. One of the highlights of his college experience was being a member of the Iowa Hawkeye Marching Band, playing the trombone.
In the summer of 1967, Steve met the love of his life, Julie Cory, at Lake Okoboji. They were married in Spencer, on Aug. 10, 1974. After passing the Iowa Bar in 1976, Steve and Julie moved to Burlington, where he practiced law at Dailey, Dailey, Ruther, Bauer and Schulte. The firm would eventually be renamed to Lawyers: Swanson, Gordon, Benne, Clark & Kozlowski, where Steve was a Senior Partner until his retirement in 2014.
Steve was an active member of the Burlington community, serving roles on the boards of the Burlington Library Foundation, the Burlington YMCA, Hope Haven, and the Special Needs Foundation. He was a past member of the church council of Messiah Lutheran Church in Burlington, served on the Finance Committee for the Fiddlesticks Country Club in Fort Myers, Fla., and past President of the Burlington Golf Club and the Highlands Homeowners Association for his winter home.
After Steve’s retirement, he and Julie escaped the Iowa winters and became snowbirds in Fort Myers, Fla. There, he enjoyed many rounds of golf while living in the Fiddlesticks Golf community. Steve and Julie recently enjoyed a Mediterranean cruise and were planning to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary with their family on an Alaskan cruise in the summer of 2024. They were amid relocating permanently from Burlington to Fort Myers, where Steve looked forward to perfecting his golf swing when he passed away unexpectedly.
If Julie was the love of his life, Steve’s son Andy, born in 1978, and Brice, born in 1981 were the pride of his life. A stream of human richness proceeded from both as daughters-in-law Beth and Liz joined their family in 2005 and 2007. Four grandchildren would later follow—Madeline in 2010, Alexandra & Lars in 2013 and Annika in 2015. To understand their place in Steve’s life, one needs only to look at any picture of him with any one of the grandchildren. If golf had any competition in Steve’s life, it was his grandchildren.
Steve was the rock of the Swanson family. He was a fun-loving guy—ready to hit the dance floor with Julie at any wedding reception, learning how to do the Soulja Boy dance in the kitchen with his nieces on Thanksgiving. He was not a fan of board games or card games, but he would play endless rounds of UNO Attack or the Ladybug game with the grandkids. Steve enjoyed cooking with Julie and had become quite the chef with one of his specialties being delicious corn chowder. He had a wonderful sense of humor and inherited the famous Swanson laugh that carries on in his two boys.
Steve is survived by his wife of 49 years, Julie of Burlington; his sons Andrew (Liz) of Sterling, Vir. and Brice (Beth) of Blythewood, SC; his grandchildren Madeline, Alexandra, Lars, and Annika; his brothers Michael (Judith) Swanson of Lake Oswego, OR and Charles (Kim) Swanson of Coralville, IA, his brother-in-law, William (Betty) Cory of Manning, SC and numerous nieces, nephews, extended relatives and friends. Steve was preceded in death by his parents, Oscar and Lillian Swanson, his sister Rebecca Gould, his parents-in-law Dr Max and Lois Cory, and his brother-in-law, Max Cory, Jr.
In his last days, Steve received outstanding care from the staff of Gulf Coast Medical Center and Lee County EMS Service. There are not enough words to express the profound gratitude of the Swanson family for the compassion and kindness shown by the doctors and nurses during Steve’s hospitalization.
A celebration of Steve’s life will be held on Friday, Dec. 29 from 2-4 p.m. at the Burlington Golf Club. A private burial will be held at a later time. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Steve’s memory to the Burlington Library Foundation or the Burlington Area YMCA.