Terry G. Swanson
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Terry Gaylord Swanson, 81, of Lakewood, Colorado, died Wednesday, July 15, 2020, at St. Anthony's Hospital, Lakewood, Colorado. Terry was born January 7, 1939, in Livingston, Montana. He was the only child and son of Victor H. and Ada S. (Thompson) Swanson. He attended grade school in Billings, Mont., and graduated from Billings Senior High School in 1957. He attended Eastern Mont-ana College, and the University of Colorado at Denver. Terry married Georgia K. Patek, from Billings, on September 10, 1960, in Billings, Montana. They met in band at Eastern in 1959. He was a lifeguard, at Athletic Pool Park, during high school, in Billings, MT.
In 1957, after turning 18; he worked at Piper's Auto Wrecking doing auto body repair work. He also worked on Montana oil fields, as well as on road construction on Montana highways, living briefly in Circle, Shelby, and Sunburst Montana, before moving down to Denver, Colorado October 1960, where he worked on the Titan missile silos, just east of the Denver metro area. He also worked at the Denver Water Board as a draftsman, a cashier at the Big Top convenience store, and as an auto mechanic at Phillips 66 service station. Terry's final job was with A.R. Wilfley & Sons Inc. as a test engineer before coming down with encephalitis October 29, 1967, and for the last 20 years of his life, he suffered with Alzheimer's. Terry enjoyed roller skating and ice skating, swimming, and diving. He enjoyed alpine skiing in Red Lodge, MT and in Colorado, street racing down Poly Dr. in Billings with his 1952 XK120 maroon Jaguar Convertible, in his high school days. He enjoyed Drag Racing, and was a member of the Saints Drag Racing Club in Montana, in N.H.R.A. sponsored races from 1955 through at least 1958, at Belgrade Montana airstrip among other racing venues, with a race car he named Quicker-N-Most and after the second year of racing, renaming his car Quicker-N-Most II, co-built with his cousin Darren Swanson, and auto racing at Sid Langsam's Continental Divide Raceways in Castle Rock, Colo. in a 1959 modified Cooper Jr., in 1965. He enjoyed building, and racing Slot Cars in Denver, with his son, Jeff. He liked going to Celebrity Sports Center, for swimming, diving and slot car racing; and miniature golf and amusement park rides at Elitch Gardens Amusement Park with his family. He played the clarinet and piano by ear. He enjoyed music, his favorite singer, Sarah Vaughn, among others. He enjoyed taking his family to Tico's Mexican Restaurant in Denver. He enjoyed spending time with his family and being a husband and father. Terry is survived by his wife Georgia, and a son, Jeff; and many cousins. Terry was a faithful member of Jehovah's Witnesses for many years. He believed in the resurrection hope and living forever in Jehovah's promised paradise earth in perfect health. Cremation has taken place by the Cremation Society of Colorado and Horan and McConaty Mortuary. Memorial services will be held through Zoom, as a video phone/computer virtual memorial, on (date time). Any correspondence and condolences may be mailed to 9725 E. Harvard Ave. BB453; Denver, CO 80231