Roy Austin Swanson

Roy Austin Swanson, 89, of Sister Bay, passed away at Door County Medical Center in Sturgeon Bay on August 10, 2025.

Roy captivated people with his sincere enthusiasm, humor and love of life. He was a true outside artist who thrived on reclaiming materials to create sculpture, collage books and masks. He was a seeker, studying many different religious and mystical teachings and practices that inspired him to write poetry and magical stories. He was very private, but these writings captured his deep feelings and wonder.

Roy lived an original life. He was born in New York, NY on December 13, 1935, to Ralph and Rose (Kruhm) Swanson. He remembered losing his dad in a plane crash at the age of 4 and shortly after he moved between several homes, his mothers, his grandparents and the George Junior Republic a residential center in Freeville, New York where he worked on their farm, inspiring his life-long love of plants and gardening.

Roy lived as a strong man, and he lived a brave life. He was a contributor wherever he landed. He joined the military at age 18 and proudly became a Navy Seal performing underwater demolition tasks as a “Frogman”.

In the late 1960’s Roy moved to San Francisco where his creative and adventurous spirit began to flourish. He was married to Krishni (Olson) and together had a daughter, Anna. He loved to share stories about his California coast days, as a puppeteer, a Montessori teacher and his most proud role, as a coordinator of the San Francisco Community Gardens.

Roy loved talking about soil quality - it was a metaphor for his life. He knew growth was only possible when your soil was fed wholesome nutrients that supported strong root systems. He applied this perspective in practice with his own vegetable and flower gardens. Nothing made him happier than collecting flowers to create one of his elaborate, whimsical floral arrangements and hand it off to one of the people or places he loved.

Roy journeyed to Sister Bay in 1995 with the encouragement of his good friend Tom Horsley who he had met while gardening at the Westerbeke Ranch in Sonoma, CA. He continued to make a livelihood for himself by befriending and working as a gardener at Lettuce Unite, McKeefry Yeomans, Lautenbach Orchards and Hidden Acres. All these people became family for Roy. He was very grateful for all his friends, especially the Mead family who always made his holidays special and his game days with Zach and Mary Beth were something to look forward to.

Roy loved telling his stories to all who would listen. Many will remember him as an engaging, distinguished looking elderly man with bushy eyebrows, sitting in the red leather chair of the original Base Camp where his good friend Joel Kersebet gave him a coffee and delicious pastry every morning. Alicia, Joel, Sam and Stella Kersebet were a second family to Roy. The other treasures of his daily life in Sister Bay were the kind and welcoming staff at Al Johnsons who enjoyed his charming ways and sincerely looked out for him. In his last years in Sister Bay, he could be found happily people-watching on the bench outside the Post Office, editing and printing photos with his friends at Innovative Printing or in the Sister Bay Library where he had another comfy leather chair, next to the fireplace, where he took in the news and a continuous list of books, music and films that was as wide-ranging and imaginative as his curious mind.

He was preceded in death by his daughter Anna in 2024 and one of his best friends in life, Tim Kay in 2019.

Roy became a special part of our family later in his life and we want to celebrate his life on the Equinox with a potluck picnic that will take place in the meadow at Three Sisters-home of the Kays, (Kathleen, Tim, Grace, Lucy and Ava) on September 21 beginning at 4pm. All are welcome, his art collection will be a part of this celebration of his life. 1491 Hill Road Sister Bay.

Casperson Funeral Home & Cremation Services in Sister Bay is assisting with arrangements. Expressions of sympathy, memories, and photos of Roy may be shared through his tribute page at www.CaspersonFuneralHome.com.

THE HIGH FLYER BY ROY SWANSON

SOARING IN THAT QUIET PLACE

THE HIGH FLYER DREAMS OF DEEP BLUE SPACE

HEARS THE LIGHT THAT STILLS THE MIND AND LEAVES THIS WORLD FAR, FAR BEHIND.

THE SECRET I DO BELIEVE IS TO LOOK BEYOND THE SHAPE AND FORM OF THINGS.

TO READ BETWEEN THE LINES OF WHAT IS SAID AND WHAT IS NOT, OF WHAT IS THOUGHT AND WHAT IS NOT.

ONE DAY, THIS WILL GUIDE US TO THAT SILENT NIGHT AND GRACE OUR LIVES WITH GOLDEN HOLY LIGHT.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Roy Austin Swanson, please visit our floral store.