Obituary for William "Bill" Swan
William “Bill” Swan passed away unexpectedly Sunday, March 19, 2023, in Clarkston. Born in Lewiston, he was the oldest of four children and only son of David and Darlene Swan. Bill was a gentle, patient and loving brother to his three sisters.
As a youngster he enjoyed entertaining his younger sisters, making up games to play and hilarious songs. He loved playing neighborhood sports and was known for always including and teaching the younger kids about the games. In his youth he spent his summers with his family jet boating, water skiing and camping on the Snake River, and Priest and Payette Lakes. In the winter he could be found snowmobiling and snow skiing around McCall.
Bill graduated from Lewiston High School in 1984 and attended the University of Idaho. There he was a member of Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity. After receiving his bachelor’s degree in advertising, Bill moved to Boise where he spent many years tending bar at Burger n’ Brew on Broadway Ave.
In the early 2000s Bill had the opportunity to go to work on a fish processing vessel in the Bering Sea where he excelled as a crew mate, and was given the role of quality assurance manager. Bill found the fishing industry very fulfilling and was valued as an employee for a number of years, and traveled between Lewiston and Alaska during this time. During the off-season he worked at a number of restaurants in the Lewiston-Clarkston Valley and continued to do so after an injury ended his fishing career. Bill was well known by coworkers and bosses for his great attitude, hard work and good humor.
Bill loved all things sports, but particularly loved college basketball. If he couldn’t travel to watch March Madness playoffs, you could find him at a watering hole watching it all unfold and tending to his brackets.
Bill is survived by his parents David and Darlene Swan, his sisters Sandy Murphey (Todd), Cheryl Rabe (Craig), Melissa Hanson (Jeff) and four nieces and two nephews. He is preceded in death by his maternal grandparents, Edward and Edna Schie and paternal grandparents Thomas William and Olive Swan.
The entire family would like to thank everyone for the outpouring of support and love during this very difficult time.
A celebration of life will be planned in Bill’s honor at a later date.
As a youngster he enjoyed entertaining his younger sisters, making up games to play and hilarious songs. He loved playing neighborhood sports and was known for always including and teaching the younger kids about the games. In his youth he spent his summers with his family jet boating, water skiing and camping on the Snake River, and Priest and Payette Lakes. In the winter he could be found snowmobiling and snow skiing around McCall.
Bill graduated from Lewiston High School in 1984 and attended the University of Idaho. There he was a member of Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity. After receiving his bachelor’s degree in advertising, Bill moved to Boise where he spent many years tending bar at Burger n’ Brew on Broadway Ave.
In the early 2000s Bill had the opportunity to go to work on a fish processing vessel in the Bering Sea where he excelled as a crew mate, and was given the role of quality assurance manager. Bill found the fishing industry very fulfilling and was valued as an employee for a number of years, and traveled between Lewiston and Alaska during this time. During the off-season he worked at a number of restaurants in the Lewiston-Clarkston Valley and continued to do so after an injury ended his fishing career. Bill was well known by coworkers and bosses for his great attitude, hard work and good humor.
Bill loved all things sports, but particularly loved college basketball. If he couldn’t travel to watch March Madness playoffs, you could find him at a watering hole watching it all unfold and tending to his brackets.
Bill is survived by his parents David and Darlene Swan, his sisters Sandy Murphey (Todd), Cheryl Rabe (Craig), Melissa Hanson (Jeff) and four nieces and two nephews. He is preceded in death by his maternal grandparents, Edward and Edna Schie and paternal grandparents Thomas William and Olive Swan.
The entire family would like to thank everyone for the outpouring of support and love during this very difficult time.
A celebration of life will be planned in Bill’s honor at a later date.