LYNN — Philip Matthew Swanson, age 84, of Lynn and formerly of Saugus, died on Friday, May 15, 2020 at Melrose Wakefield Hospital following a brief illness. He was the husband of the late Barbara Leona (Wasilewski) Swanson, with whom he shared 44 years of marriage before she predeceased him in 2002.
Born in 1936, Philip was the son of the late Ralph H. and Elizabeth Agnes (Tully) Swanson. He was raised and educated in Saugus and though he graduated from Saugus High School in 1955, he carried the school’s spirit with him for decades, often chanting school cheers to entertain his family and friends.
At a young age, Philip was stricken with polio, forcing him to spend many challenging years in the hospital rehabilitating to regain the use of his legs. Although he had limited use of one of his legs for the remainder of his life, he became a talented garment cutter working first at Durtex in Lawrence as a foreman, then for many years at David H. Smith in Lynn and later at Haskell Sportswear in East Boston.
An avid Red Sox fan, he enforced a strict “do not call” rule for several days following a Red Sox loss and was never able to forgive Bill Buckner for his infamous 1986 World Series game-losing error.
Philip is survived by his loving daughter Kathleen Swanson of Saugus; his beloved granddaughters, Krystle Dunwell of Los Angeles, Calif., and Sherée Dunwell of Belmont; his siblings, Paul, Richard and David Swanson and Geri Poulin; and his many nieces and nephews. In addition to his wife and parents, he was predeceased by his siblings Barbara Aznavoorian, Robert Swanson, Ralph Swanson, Regina Souza, Betty Mae Feldman and Sylvia Jones. Those who knew him best will dearly miss his sense of humor.
Service information: Adhering to the guidelines of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the CDC, funeral services will be private. Private burial in Pine Grove Cemetery, Lynn. Arrangements entrusted to SOLIMINE Funeral Homes, Lynn.
In lieu of flowers, donations in Philip’s memory may be made to March of Dimes at https://www.marchofdimes.org/.
Online guestbook for family and friends to offer condolences at www.solimine.com.
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