Andrew Nicholas Swanson

Andrew Nicholas Swanson M.D., 36, of Minneapolis and North Mankato, died Thursday, June 11, 2009 in a mountain climbing accident on Mt. McKinley, Alaska.

Andrew was born in Rochester, MN, to Dr. Gene and Edythe McDougall Swanson on November 9, 1972. Andrew graduated from Mankato West High School in 1991. He received his B.S. with honors from Dartmouth University in 1995 where he was president of the Dartmouth Mountaineering Club. He received his medical degree from the University of Chicago in 2000. In 2005, he completed his orthopedic residency at the Hospital for Special Surgery, in New York, NY and in 2006, he completed his fellowship in spine surgery at the Twin Cities Spine Center in Minneapolis. In 2007, he completed a traveling fellowship in Europe with the Cervical Spine Research Society. He practiced with his father and brother at the Orthopedic and Fracture Clinic in Mankato.

Andrew's honors were many and included research grants and awards. His passion for others was best illustrated by his eight trips to Ghana, Africa , where he performed surgery on children with severe spinal deformities. He reveled in the difficulty of climbing peaks in Peru, Bolivia, and Alaska. Andrew was a pilot, an avid cyclist, an explorer, a brilliant surgeon and a blessing to all who knew him. In the words of his mother, "He had the most wonderful face in the world. He was so handsome, so kind, so irresistible. If you knew him, you loved him."

Andrew is survived by his parents, Dr. Gene and Eydie Swanson of North Mankato; siblings, Molly (Tim) Britt of Newport Beach, CA, Dr. Kyle Swanson and partner, Ashley Marks of Mankato, Heidi (Vann) Avedisian of Winnetka, IL; seven adoring nieces and nephews, Eliza, Nick, Carter, and Lily Britt, Brooke, Luke, and Avery Avedisian; many aunts, uncles, and cousins.

Funeral Service will be held at 11:00 a.m., Thursday, June 18, 2009 at First Presbyterian Church 220 E. Hickory St. in Mankato, with Rev. Dawn Carder and Rev. Dr. John Buchanan of Fourth Presbyterian Church in Chicago co-officiating. Visitation will be held from 4 " 8 p.m., Wednesday at the Mankato Mortuary, 1001 N. Riverfront St. and will resume one hour before the service at the church on Thursday.

Andrew volunteered his time for several weeks each year with the organization FOCOS, performing spine surgery on children in Ghana, Africa. To give to the Andrew Swanson Memorial at FOCOS, send donations to P.O. Box 665 Lenox Hill Station, New York, NY, 10021 (www.orthofocos.org).

A further tribute to Andrew can be found at www.synoptek.com/andrew.