A Minnesota native, Swanson learned to fly in the Army Specialized Training Program. His father gave him his first plane in 1942. During World War II, he served as a flight engineer in the India/Burma Campaign.
Until he died, he still spent every Wednesday and Saturday in his hangar at Deland Municipal Airport, enjoying his airplane and the company of fellow pilot friends.
A retired Ford Motor Company engineer, Swanson flew from Michigan to Florida to visit family in 1979.
He never left.
Swanson worked in car development at Ford and was instrumental in installing the 390 V-8 engines into the Mustang. But it was taking the prototypes out to an Arizona test track for two weeks every Spring that Swanson really enjoyed.
For nearly a decade, Swanson volunteered for the EAA Young Eagles program, giving free rides to interested young people ages 8-17. He also assisted the EAA Chapter with its annual corn roast fundraiser at the Lakeland Sun-n-Fun International Expo & Fly-In.
He married the former Barbara Garrison in 2006, following the death of his first wife, Evelyn and her first husband, Ernest. The couple happily celebrated their fourth wedding anniversary in August.
Swanson is survived by his wife, Barbara; sons Jim and Bob Garrison of Orlando; sisters Ginny Bruce of San Diego, CA and Evona Brim of Portland, OR; four grandchildren and six nieces and nephews.
A celebration of his life will be held Saturday, Sept. 11, 1:00 pm, at Deltona Presbyterian Church, 2300 Howland Blvd., Deltona.
Memorial donations may be made to the Experimental Aircraft Association’s Scholarship Fund to help students become the aviators and engineers of tomorrow: EAA (In Memory of Duane Swanson), P.O. Box 3086, Oshkosh, WI 54903.
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