Jerry Lynn Swan

Jerry Lynn Swan, 68 years old, passed away peacefully in his home on Wednesday, June 15, 2011. Mr. Swan was born in Henry County, Iowa on August 20, 1942. He graduated from Mt. Pleasant High School in Mt. Pleasant, Iowa in 1960 as Salutatorian of his class. He was proud to be a “Hawkeye”, having been born and raised in Iowa and graduating from the University of Iowa with a degree in their Accounting program.

Jerry was a 35 year veteran of Caterpillar, Inc. and served in key leadership assignments throughout the world including Brazil, Mexico, and the United Kingdom. In North America, Jerry also enjoyed key leadership assignments in the Peoria, Morton, Decatur, and Mossville, Illinois Caterpillar plants.

Jerry was a “founding father” of the Building Construction Products Division of Caterpillar and served on the original leadership team which started up in 1989. The division headquarters moved to Clayton, North Carolina in 1991. While at BCP, he served on the BCP Leadership Board as Director of Business Services, Managing Director of CAT BCP United Kingdom, and Director of Operations from 1991 until his retirement on August 1, 2000.

From there, he embarked on a very rewarding and successful life in retirement traveling around the world and spending quality time with his cherished family and friends. He had a great zest for life, and it showed in everything he did. He loved the outdoors, and was an avid fisherman, hunter and golfer. He served on the Devil’s Ridge Golf Club Board of Governors as Golf Committee Chairman.

Mr. Swan was preceded in death by his father, Stanley Van Dyke Swan of Mt. Pleasant, Iowa and a daughter, Jennifer Jane Swan of Iowa City, Iowa.

He is survived by his beloved wife and soul-mate of 19 years, Margaret Grace McEldowney Swan; daughters, Angela Lyn Swan of Lakewood, Illinois, Amy Jo Rose and her husband, Brian, of Juneau, Alaska; sons, Christopher Walker Swan of Salida, Colorado, Matthew Lee Swan and his wife, Maureen, of Portland, Oregon; stepson, Rodney William Powell and his wife, Jodi, of Decatur, Illinois; grandchildren, Jordon and Bethany Oglesby, Emilia, Rosh, and Elisabeth Siefken, Will and Holland Swan; step-grandchildren, Morgan Sonnenberg and Jonah Powell; mother, Irma Ladwig Swan of Mt. Pleasant, Iowa; mother-in-law, Velda Kistner McEldowney of Decatur, Illinois; sister, Sharon Lee Peterson and her husband, Donald Peterson, of Buckeye, Arizona; many nieces and nephews; sisters-in-law, Virginia Peer and her husband, Tom, Kathy Hott and her husband, Donnie of Decatur, Illinois; brothers-in-law, Robert McEldowney and his wife, Joyce, of Glen Carbon, Illinois, Dominic McEldowney and his wife, Kaye, Randolph McEldowney and his wife, Cristy, of Decatur, Illinois.

The family will receive friends from 5-8 p.m. Monday, June 20, 2011 at Brown-Wynne Funeral Home, 200 SE Maynard Road, Cary, North Carolina.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Hospice of Wake County, 250 Hospice Circle, Raleigh, North Carolina 27607 or to American Cancer Society, Designate for Lung Cancer, 8300 Health Park, Suite 10, Raleigh, North Carolina 27615.