Donald William Swenholt

Don was an extraordinary person who touched the lives of many people. He was kind, funny, smart, charming, fiercely loyal, and quite stylish. And, as if those attributes were not enough, he was also so darned handsome.

Don was the greatest husband of all time and the best friend anyone could hope to have. His warm smile, positive energy, and sense of fun made him a welcome companion. Everyone who knew Don was crazy about him.

To his many friends, Don was outgoing, generous, funny, available, and always ready to lend a hand, offer an uplifting comment, share some tunes, and laugh at a joke or tell one on himself. To his clients, many of whom became his friends, Don was a creative and inspiring teacher and mentor who helped them in ways that improved not only their professional lives but often their personal lives as well.

He was happy in his life and work and seemed always to be looking for the next interesting project or adventure. His hobbies included music, traveling, birdwatching, nature hikes, photography, printmaking, and, lately, defending our democracy.

Of these hobbies, he had a particular passion for music. His interests were broad, ranging from Monk to Mozart and Geese to Puccini. He loved sharing tunes with friends and listening to new things. Every day started with music from one of his many playlists, and no car ride could begin until he had dialed up his music.

Another passion was nature. He took tremendous pleasure from all of nature, whether it was the birds, foxes, raccoons, and deer in the backyard or more unusual creatures in far-away places. Not surprisingly, Don took special interest in the little guys: insects, spiders, and other creatures that most would avoid. He loved going for hikes in the woods to look for birds, mammals, plants, bugs - whatever showed up - and traveling far and wide to see wildlife. Don had recently learned about the importance of native plants as food and shelter for wildlife and, accordingly, planted hundreds of native plants in his yard.

Recently, Don had become committed to taking action to protect our democracy. Whether he was writing hundreds of letters to get out the vote, attending rallies, or donating to pro-democracy causes and candidates, Don was passionate about standing up for what he believed was important and right.

Born in Meridian, Mississippi on July 3, 1952, he was one of six children of Frances and Donald B. Swenholt. He graduated from Vanderbilt with a degree in English and Psychology and earned his teaching credentials from George Peabody College. He continued to live in Nashville for several years. In 1979, he returned to the Washington, DC, area and started his business communications firm, Donald Swenholt and Associates, helping people communicate and collaborate more effectively. Some of his clients included NASA, NIST, and NIH. In 1986, he married his wife, Kristina Harper. He lived in Chevy Chase, DC.

He is survived by Tina, his wife of almost forty years, his brother-in-law (Harry Harper), five siblings, their children and grandchildren, many cousins, and numerous friends.

A green burial will be held at Congressional Cemetery at 11am on January 13, 2026. A celebration of life will be held at a later date.

If you would like to make a charitable donation in his memory, you might consider charities that support the conservation of nature. Some of the charities Don supported include Rainforest Trust, Re:Wild, the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, and Homegrown National Park.

Apologies to Don for not outlining or using topic sentences.