Integrity, Hard Work, Dependable, Caring thru Doing, Emotionally Strong, Dedicated to Family These qualities describe Don Swenson of Paso Robles, Calif. Don was born 6/26/27 in Clovis, Ca. to Edward and Regina Swenson and passed away 4/29/07 at the Twin Cities Hospital in Templeton, Ca. He was raised on a ranch near Friant, north of Fresno, until his father’s passing when his mother moved he and his sister, Jean, to town in Clovis, Ca., in 1940., where he attended Clovis High School and graduated in 1944. He served in the US Navy in San Diego and Pearl Harbor 1944 to 1946 where he learned supply management. He attended Fresno State College for 2 years and transferred to the University of Southern California studying engineering. This training and exercise of precise detail served him well later. As an assistant manager at retail Thrifty Drug store in Fresno, Ca., he met Sally Turner, who was working at a nearby JJ Newberry store. They were married in Fresno in 1950 and moved to San Jose, Ca., shortly afterward where their oldest son, Craig, was born in 1951. Returning to Fresno, their other son, Erik, was born in 1953 and they purchased their first home on Brown Ave., shortly afterward. Don managed several retail WT Grant stores starting in 1957 throughout the San Fernando Valley and Orange County, and his family lived in Fullerton 1961 - 67. Don purchased and operated a Rasco Store in north San Jose from 1967 to 1971. In 1971, he purchased a Coast-to-Coast Hardware (now Ace Hardware) in Kings Village Center in Scotts Valley. With his wife, Sally, they toiled long hours (7 days per week) in the 1970’s to develop their business while living at 151 Kenny Ct. in the Santa Cruz Gardens area. Many, many folks traded jokes and humor at their store. They became acquainted with friendly and warm folks at the Scotts Valley Moose Lodge #545, where it became his passion and conviction of the Moose organization and its charities and children’s support at Mooseheart in Florida. As their business grew, they added employees, and developed close friendships with other members of the Moose Lodge, and they started to travel on cruises and well as trips to Hawaii, Europe, and other sites with their dear friends and extended family. Their photo albums are evidence of these treasured adventures together. Don purchased 49er season tickets in 1980 and they rode the booster bus to every Sunday home game from Felton to Candlestick Park during the 49ers fabulous seasons of the 1980’s. He earned several Moose awards starting in 1979 and was instrumental in developing fund raising functions at the Moose Lodge in the 1980’s and thru to the mid-1990’s. The Moose Lodge was a source of many friends, great memories, successful social events, and benevolent achievements. This earned Don the recognition and advancement where he served as governor 1992-93, Trustee, and received the of Moose Legionaire of the Year in 1996. After selling their Coast-To-Coast Store and retiring in 1995, they completed the second remodeling of their home and relocated to Paso Robles, Ca., in 1998, to be closer to his sister and her husband, Jean and Gary Zimmerman, in Cambria. They lived at 815 St. Andrews Circle on the eastside south of Niblick Road. The new home provided much motivation for many project endeavors and gathering of family and friends, including their 50th wedding anniversary in 2000. Don had performed services and held offices at the Paso Robles Moose Lodge #243, including their newsletter, dinners, treasurer, governor 2004-05, and District II VP. He also received the distinction of Moose Legionaire of the Year for 2006 - 2007. He is survived by sons - Erik (Paso Robles) and Craig and wife Nikki (Washington-Utah) Swenson; sister – Regina (Jean) Zimmerman (Cambria), sister-in-law, Betty Swenson (Fresno); nieces and nephews: Mark Zimmerman and wife Kim (Carnelian Bay, Ca), Carol Zimmerman (Fresno, Ca), Ann Darling and husband, Robert (Blairsden, Ca), and grandchildren, Ryan (Oregon) & Crystal Swenson Benton City, Wa. He is preceeded in death by his wife, Sally, in 2004, and brother Stanley William (Bill), in 2005, in Fresno.