Donald Louis Swanstrom
September 29, 1948−July 18, 2026
In 1965, Don moved to the Yukon with his parents, two brothers and a sister. As an adult, he built his home behind Mary Lake, where, by being careful, precise, and prepared, Don became a committed caretaker of his little corner of the Yukon.
A man with an unshakably strong work ethic, it was fundamental to his character that whatever he put his hands to should be done to the best of his ability. Over his life he worked at White Pass and then Elvin’s Equipment, and even after retiring Don continued to skillfully maintain and fix whatever needed dealing with. Selflessly, he was always happy to share his copious knowledge—guiding, instructing and helping in a rare combination of forthright, capable and succinct mannerisms that were uniquely Don’s. Those who were lucky enough to experience this inspiring way of his felt their lives impacted by a rare gravity and quiet charisma.
Don had enormous respect for the way nature worked, a quality easily evident through his words and actions. A devoted friend of nature, he was capable of great tenderness toward creatures, especially those who were in a vulnerable position. Don’s abundance of bush smarts allowed for astonishingly easy movement through wild places, areas where he could be found on most days. The health of these areas was often directly linked to his own sense of well-being, and many were the times he felt personally affected by damage to nature that he had witnessed or read about.
Keeping himself in excellent physical shape was always important to Don. An avid cross-country skier and cyclist with incredible endurance and stamina, he made many close friends through his decades of enjoying these two activities. He loved hiking and over the years walked up many, many mountains, regularly exploring the high country for sheer pleasure and curiosity. If you were ever lost, he’s the one you’d want to come looking for you.
Throughout his life Don had many beloved dog and cats, their constant presence providing deeply appreciated companionship and comfort. He was a man of focused attention on everything in his orbit. He thought over problems until a solution could be found, was an advocate of dark air, easily became confounded and extremely frustrated by computers, and he had absolutely no use for bureaucratic nonsense. Don thrived in winter but never could tolerate summer heat. Picking rocks, growing vegetables, reading, watching critters around him living their lives—these were simple things he took pleasure in. He thought playful kittens were great fun, likewise an evening shared with someone he cared about while listening to his favorite music. He loved cinnamon buns, campfire coffee, and especially Don’s Dilemma chocolate cake. Don was the best kind of friend to both humans and animals: loyal, generous, and interested in what you had to say.
He will continue to be respected for his profound integrity and constancy of character, his strength and gentleness, his plain-spoken eloquence, self-reliance and willingness to lend a hand, along with his unique, slightly twisted humour. His big, capable hands could pound, soothe, make music, and not only fix, but fabricate just about anything. If something needed to be done, he got right to it. Above all, he was self-sufficient and fair.
Don was loved by many who will terribly miss him.
Take your place with grace and then be on your way—Bruce Cockburn
