Ronald LeRoy Swavely

Wasilla resident, Ronald LeRoy Swavely, 80, died Nov. 7, 2010.

Interment will take place at Fort Richardson National Cemetery at a later date.

Ronald was born Dec. 31, 1929, in Sioux City, S.D., to Roy Melvin and Hilda Matilda (Statum) Swavely. He moved to Alaska in 1961. When he re-enlisted in the Army he was transferred to Alaska and looked forward to being a part of the growth that would take place here.

He lived in the Eagle River area until 1980 and moved to Wasilla, where he lived until his death. He was an HO scale train enthusiast, especially the Great Northern and Alaska railroads, and also enjoyed doing genealogy.

He worked as a house framing building contractor, and his family said he will always be loved and missed by his family. He looked forward to joining his Lord and his wife, Joan, son, Robert and family in Heaven who preceded him in death.

Ronald was also preceded in death by his parents, Roy and Hilda.

He is survived by his sons, Leonard, Thomas of Palmer, Lawrence of Peters Creek and Darcy of Bethel, Wash.; daughter, Theresa Miller of Wasilla; sisters, Susan Smith of Minneapolis, Minn., and Sandra Otten of Sioux Falls; brothers, Bruce of Balsum Lake, Wisc., and Dennis of Elgin, Minn. He is also survived by seven grandchildren; eight great-grandchildren; and one great-great-granddaughter and a multitude of extended family, of which he was the patriarch.

The family is being cared for by Valley Funeral Home and Crematory of Wasilla.