Dr. David R. Swanson, 53, died unexpectedly when his car was struck by another vehicle on August 11, 2019. He was the director of the Holland Computing Center and a research professor in computer science and engineering at the University of Nebraska in Lincoln, but more importantly, he was a beloved husband, father, son, brother, and friend.
He was born in California to Dr. Robert and Nancy Swanson of Waconia, MN. He attended Mayer Lutheran High School where he became a National Merit Scholar and went on to study chemistry at Nebraska Wesleyan University. He received his doctorate in theoretical physical chemistry at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He then served as an NSF-NATO Fellow at the Technical University of Wroclaw, Poland and an NRC Research Fellow at the Naval Research Laboratory in Washington, D.C.
He is survived and mourned by the love of his life, Ronda, and children Caleb, Abigail, Sophia, and Livia. He was a devoted husband and dedicated father, and theirs was a close-knit family bound together by a shared belief in Jesus, joyful traditions, music making, and genuine love and affection.
He is also survived by his parents, Dr. Robert and Nancy Swanson, who were overwhelmed with pride and love for their boy who built a career, relationship, family, and life that far surpassed what they had ever hoped for him, his sister Lori (Gregg), nieces Lauren and Kate Schroeder, sister Angie (Jeff), nephew Ladd Brueske, and sister Becca (Lucas), nieces and nephews Bella, Thaddaeus, Aletheia, Klaci, Soteria, and Titus Woodford, all from Minnesota, his father and mother-in-law Rev. Bill and Shirley Armold of Lincoln, sister-in-law Stephanie(Jim) Winter of Ft. Calhoun, nephews, Ben(Joy), Sam, and Aaron and was especially close to his first cousin Mark Wilkening of Lincoln. He loved all his aunts, uncles and cousins and was faithful to visit and care for them.
He was the quintessential big brother who did all things well; he won every game, and was kind and caring and looked out for his sisters. He loved baseball and coached Caleb’s teams for nine years, bled Husker Red for every sport, was faithful to the Twins and Vikings, loved all things Nebraska and had a deep affinity for Africa and Poland.
His friends, family, employees and colleagues are so immensely proud of the man he was. He has left a legacy of professional accomplishments, a beautiful family, and an army of friends that is humbling and inspiring. He was faithful, patient, generous with his time, funny, talented at everything he tried, and dedicated to everyone he knew. And he could tell a pun in a way that was so bad it was good.
Memorial Service: 1:00 p.m. Saturday (9-21-19) Lincoln Berean Church, 6400 South 70th Street with Pastor Dustin Rodgers officiating.
Memorials to the family for the children’s college education.
A celebration of life gathering will be from 5:30 – 7:00 p.m. Friday at Roper and Sons South Lincoln Chapel, 3950 Hohensee Drive (SW corner of 40th & Yankee Hill Rd.)