Theodore “Ted” Swenson, age 77 of Isanti, died unexpectedly at his home on October 7, 2019. Funeral services will be held at 2:00 P.M. on Saturday, October 12 at St. John Lutheran Church (Weber), 28168 Jodrell St. NE, North Branch, MN 55056. A time for visiting will be held 1 hour prior to the service at the church.
Memorial donations may be made to the American Diabetes Association PO Box 15829, Arlington, VA 22215.
Theodore Sheldon Swenson was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota on December 26, 1941, several weeks after the beginning of World War II. Ted was named after his grandfather, Sheldon Theodore. The family later moved to rural Isanti, where his father purchased a small farm where Ted grew up. Ted attended Pershing Elementary School for six years and then continued on to Cambridge High School where he graduated in 1959. He then furthered his education at the University of Minnesota where he became a member of the ROTC, (Reserve Officer Training Corp). In 1961, his cousin Raymond and Ted joined the Air Force together. After completing basic training in Texas, Ted was transferred to Lowry Air Force Base in Denver, Colorado for training as a Missile Technician. Ted’s passion for learning and academic success provided him with the opportunity to instruct for the remainder of his tour of duty. Upon completion of basic training, Ted was then promoted to Airman First Class. For leisure, Ted found a strong passion for bowling, in which he registered and participated in several leagues. After completing 4 years in the Air Force, Ted continued his career in electronics and attended Brown Institute in Minneapolis where he registered in the School of Technology. After graduation, he started his career on December 26, 1969 in technology at the Univac Corporation in Roseville, Minnesota until a significant corporate downsize in 1997. Ted then continued his passion in technology at Best Buy in Blaine, Minnesota as a computer technician until 2000. Although retired, his passion and for technology lived on.
Ted enjoyed numerous sports such as bowling, fishing, baseball, hunting, and golfing. He also enjoyed gardening, cooking and camping with his family. Ted was also an excellent cook and enjoyed learning from several televised cooking shows. Ted and his family participated in several bowling leagues over the years and enjoyed every moment together.
Ted is survived by his wife Cora, of 49 years; sons, Steven, Michael and Christopher; brother, James; sister, Carol; grandchildren, Katie, Karlie, Jacob and Elayna; daughter-in-laws, Laura, Rachel, and Ashleigh and many nieces, nephews and extended family. Theodore was a loving father, husband, grandfather, and friend to everyone.
A special thank you to all the special people at CentraCare in Cambridge, Minnesota for their loving care and support since 2013. Also, the family would like to extend their sincerest gratitude towards Strike Life Tributes Funeral & Cremation Services for being very accommodating and understanding during this difficult time.