Willard J Swank Jr

Willard James Swank Jr., 65, of Bakersfield died peacefully Monday, April 27th at Bakersfield Heart Hospital. Willard was a caring father, husband, son and brother. Born November 15, 1954, at Allen Memorial Hospital in Waterloo, Iowa. The son of Willard James Sr. and Jane Swank, Will attended SUNY Oneonta, received his Master’s in Geology & Mineralogy from Ohio State University in 1978 and a Master’s in Business Administration from University of California Los Angeles in 1997. While attending Ohio State, he met and fell in love with Peggy Whalen and married on June 21, 1980 at Christ the King Church in Columbus, Ohio before moving to Sugarland, Texas to start a family and continue his career in the oil industry. While working, he frequently changed locations until he and his family transferred to Bakersfield. He retired as a financial consultant in 2009. Will loved sports and was an avid golfer, a skill and hobby the rest of his family shared. He loved talking baseball, bicycling, swimming, reading, stamp collecting, and music, especially classical and jazz. He had a soft spot for animals and loved caring for the family’s dogs and cats when no one was looking. His faith and devotion made him a regular volunteer at St. Philip the Apostle as a Eucharistic minister, marriage preparation facilitator and a member of the Pastoral Council. He is deeply missed by many and remembered for his compassion, sense of humor, intelligence and drive. He is survived by his wife, Peggy Whalen, two sons, Neil Patrick and Glenn William, brother, John, and his parents Willard and Jane. He will be laid to rest at Hillcrest Memorial Park and Mortuary, 9101 Kern Canyon Rd., Bakersfield, CA 93306. Memorial contributions may be made to The Norbertine Canonesses of the Bethlehem Priory of St. Joseph (661.823.1066), The Carmelite Sisters of the Most Sacred Heart of Los Angeles (866.598.4389) & Holy Spouses Memorial of the Unborn (661.323.3073).