My cousin, Joe Paul Swendsen. RIP March 3, 2011

We mourn his death and celebrate his life.

Joe had a strong belief in both family and country. He chose to honor his grandfathers who had served before him by volunteering to serve in the Air National Guard. As part of his duty, he took time out from college to go on a special assignment to Diego Garcia, supplying necessities to the troops in Afghanistan. It was hot and humid in the middle of the Indian Ocean, and Joe hated the spiders, but he befriended the geckos in the shower. That was Joe.

He later continued his tradition of service to our country as an Air Traffic Controller. He graduated from the University of Alaska Anchorage with a degree in Air Traffic Control and started that career in Rockford, IL. He earned a transfer to the Minneapolis airport in October of 2010 and that is where he was currently working. He was really happy with his career and talked about it a lot. His co-workers there are surprised and saddened by his death.

Joe, you will be missed.
- Rog