Obituaries Obituaries (October 06, 2004)

William Arthur Swinerton
Retired construction executive

William Arthur Swinerton, a longtime Woodside resident, died at his home September 26. He was 86.

He was born in San Francisco to Alfred and Jane Swinerton in 1917. The family moved Woodside in the 1930s, and he forever rued the town's decision to pave its roads, family members said.

Mr. Swinerton attended the Thatcher School in Ojai, and received his bachelor of science degree in industrial administration from Yale University in 1939.

He attended Stanford University's business school, but left after one year to become an officer in the U.S. Marine Corps. During World War II, he served in a construction battalion in the South Pacific Theatre, saw action at the battle of Guadalcanal, and was awarded the Bronze Star for his military service.

In 1943, Mr. Swinerton married Mary "Polly" Nichols Clark, and the following year the first of their four children was born. In 1958, he built the Woodside home where he and Polly lived for the rest of their lives.

Mr. Swinerton in 1939 began working summers for Lindgren & Swinerton, the leading commercial construction company in San Francisco. After World War II, he joined the company full-time.

He is credited with guiding the company's expansion into the Denver market in the 1950s, and into Hawaii in the early 1960s. He became the company's president in 1963 and then chairman of the board in 1976.

Notable projects during his tenure include the Denver Coliseum, the renovation of Ghirardelli Square and the California state capitol building, and the construction of Sheraton hotels in Maui and Waikiki.

He retired in 1988 and devoted time to his many interests -- duck hunting, salmon fishing in Scotland, trout fishing in Montana, walking his beloved dogs, tracking down rare postage stamps from the British colonies and playing a mean game of dominoes at the Pacific Union Club, family members said.

He was involved with various charities, was a great fan of the Oakland A's, devoured spy novels and enjoyed teaching his grandchildren the finer points of the sporting life, they said.

Mr. Swinerton is survived by his children, Leslie Swinerton of Geary, Oklahoma, Susie McBaine of San Francisco, Sarah Swinerton of Woodside and Jim Swinerton of Chicago; eight grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.

Memorial donations may be made to California Trout, 870 Market St., Suite 528, San Francisco, CA 94102; or the charity of the donor's choice. A private memorial service will be held.

Other deaths
Obituaries for the following people will appear in a future issue of the Almanac:

** John Thomas Neylan, a Menlo Park resident and retired United Airlines employee, died September 29 after a long illness. He was 64.

** Betsy Bliss, a nurse and homemaker who lived for 40 years in a house built by Jane Stanford, died September 7 of natural causes at The Sequoias in Portola Valley. She was 84.

** Alice Carlson died September 25 at Canyon House assisted- living facility in Menlo Park after a long illness. She was 95.

** Carolyn Elizabeth Carder, a Menlo Park resident, died September 23 after a long battle with breast cancer. She was 57.

** Elena Venezia Klein, who played the organ into her 80s at Our Lady of the Wayside Church in Portola Valley, died September 26. She was 91.

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