George Swan

George Davis Swan, Jr., passed away on June 12, 2019, one day after his 76th birthday. Extensive world traveler, universal healthcare advocate and juggling fanatic, George never missed his daily dose of laughter yoga. One of his many unfulfilled lifelong dreams was to circumnavigate the Red Sea in a kayak, documenting the best snorkeling spots. Born in 1943 in Teaneck, New Jersey to George Sr. & Hope Swan, George and his six siblings grew up on army bases all over the world in places as far-reaching as Panama and the Philippines. George met his perfect match on New Years Eve, the first day of 1969 in Miami, Florida at the Castaway's night club. George was in the navy and his ship had pulled into port for the night. He returned on Valentine's Day for the weekend to ask Marie to marry him. Having spent less than 48 hours together, Marie drove across the country in her VW bug to meet George in California without a hint of doubt - when you know, you know. They were married in August of that same year, and recently celebrated 50 adventurous years together. He kicked off his career in Sebastapol, California with a "Can Do" attitude, then to Florida where he & Marie believed they would "settle down to raise a family". Ha Ha Ha Ho Ho, George, the joke's on you, as there would be no such settling - he opened the newspaper one morning and decided to respond to an ad asking for anyone with hospital experience to join an expat community working in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Forty years later he and Marie had worked in several hospitals across Saudi Arabia, oversaw the opening of a brand-new state of the art hospital in Madras, India and reconnected with the Landmark Forum in Bangkok, Thailand, ending up during the final years of his career in Abu-Dhabi (do you see the bu-ddha in Abu-Dhabi?). He tried to return state-side several times, but it never took. George completed several marathons, and never missed his not-for-fun-run every New Year's Day, but his running days really took off with the Hash House Harriers, drinkers with a running problem yelling "On-On" through the back alleys of Madras, India. Programs like "The Landmark Forum" (aka EST) and Tribal Leadership all had a profound impact on how he carried himself through life - boldly, yet a lot less serious. He journeyed deep into the deserts of the Arabian peninsula - once in the hope of discovering a mile-wide mile-deep crater. During one of his many adventures he found his 4x4 stuck in the sand for several days, he walked across the desert and ended up joining a band of bedouins for a goat grab before they came back to dig him out - it took them about 3 minutes. Above all else, George loved the Red Sea - he and Marie spent their weekends camping on the desolate shores with nobody around for miles, where they spent days gazing into the treasures of the untouched coral reef. George would add weights and free dive to get a perfect view from the bottom of the ocean floor. He also loved to climb mountains every weekend, no matter how much his kids complained, he drew a wide grin on his face and said "Let's go!". His prized possession was his collection of books about philosophy, Gurdjieff, Werner Earhardt and Maslow. More recently he loved listening to Sadhguru and reading Richard Rohr essays. After his diagnosis of mantle cell lymphoma, he discovered the Laughing Buddha and never looked back. With his passing, he has become one with the universe he loved so much. The next time you feel the tickle of the wind on your face, or take the time to marvel at a tree that has burst into blossoms (laughter?!) know that George is laughing a thousand Ha Ha Ha Ho Hos with you at "the zero point field" of all possibilities and noticing what is right in front of us everyday we are alive. In his final words, "I see you, I know you, I love you". While most people would hear that, Dad meant it in a stage 5, fully authentic and fully present way -- he really did mean it from the very bottom of his full and wonderful heart. And even when life wasn't pleasant or when things got tough, he always found the Ha Ha Ha Ho Ho. One of his many mantras was "This is even better!", helping us all remember that everything will be okay. George is survived by his wife Marie, the "apples in his eye" Kimberly (Michael) and Tina (Kyle), his grandchildren, Kailani, Soleil, & Sydney and his siblings Rick, Robi, Andy and Deborah. Preceded in death by his sister, Carol Swan (2012) and his brother Mike Swan (2010). A Celebration of Life will be held on Sunday, September 8th at Noon PST at his daughters house in San Francisco, CA. For friends and family wishing to join virtually, please contact the family and they will send along a link to a webcam, so you can share your stories with us from afar.