U.S. Marine Corps Vietnam veteran was awarded the Purple Heart
PICKENS, S.C. — Robert F. Swenson, 72, of Pickens, South Carolina, formerly of North Reading and North Andover, died on June 17, 2020, in Easley, South Carolina.
He was born in Stoneham on September 4, 1947. He was the son of the late Alfred A. and Isabelle C. (Millar) Swenson. He was raised and attended school in North Reading.
Robert was a U.S. Marine Corps veteran of the Vietnam Conflict. He entered the Marines at age 17 and served from 1965 to 1969. He was a Lance Corporal and he received the Purple Heart Medal in combat.
When he came back from serving in Vietnam for the U.S. Marines, he worked for the Hood Milk Company and then he bartended for the Horseshoe Restaurant in North Reading for a number of years. His nickname was Midnight.
He was loved for his humor and had an infectious laugh. He had a great voice to sing his favorite country songs with any Gordon Lightfoot song, especially playing his harmonica to “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald.” He loved bowling and was on the TV show Candlepins for Cash in the late ’70s and early ’80s. He said on the show, “I work for Hood Milk and I have the longest route in town.” He also played in the North Reading Men’s Softball League for several years.
He loved the outdoors, fishing, golfing and BBQs, and he loved to garden and grow his own fruits and vegetables. He was very proud to serve our country. He especially loved animals. Over the years he had many dogs and too many cats to count.
Family members include his sons, Ryan Legrow and his wife Patricia and Robert Swenson, Jr.; his daughters, Amy Swenson and Sara Swenson; his sister, Helen M. (Swenson) McNabola; his grandchildren, Heather, Emma, Ryan and Aiden, Denise Risacher and Casey Riviera; and two great-grandchildren, Grace and Brayden. He was the brother of the late Alfred and Thomas Swenson.
Calling hours will be held at the Croswell Funeral Home, 19 Bow Street, North Reading on Friday morning, July 12 from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m., followed by a graveside service in Riverside Cemetery, North Reading at 11:50 a.m.
Memorial donations may be made in his memory to the charity of one’s choice. To leave an online message of condolence visit www.croswellfuneralhome.com
