Leah Swanson Obituary

Leah M. Swanson Born: June 30, 1929 Died: January 2, 2014 Leah (Levleit) Swanson, age 84, formerly of Aurora and West Chicago, died peacefully in Grand Rapids, Michigan on Thursday, January 2, 2014. Born June 30, 1929, she was a graduate of Ann Arbor High School and worked at St. Joseph Mercy Hospital before starting her family. She relocated to the Chicago area with her late husband, Gene, and after raising her family, worked at Fermi National Laboratory in Batavia, and later helped Gene launch his own business in fire alarm and security systems. Following his death in 1984, she became a licensed real estate agent, and took pleasure in making new friends and helping families find new homes until her retirement in 2008. She enjoyed vegetable gardening, home canning, and baking, and was an excellent and creative cook. She was preceded in death by her husband, Gene, and is survived by her daughter, Susan (Pete) Mallet of Buckfield, Maine; sons, Chuck of Lilburn, Georgia, and Arne (Gina) of Aurora, Illinois; and daughter, Mary (Mike Malinowski) of Grand Rapids, Michigan; her grandchildren and great grandchildren. A memorial service is being planned for a later date in the Chicago area, so that her life and legacy can be celebrated by her family and friends in the warm sunshine, which would be her preference. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Faith Hospice of Grand Rapids. Friends are invited to sign her guestbook at www.MichiganCremation.com