Remembering Claire Swedberg

Claire Swedberg, 61, of La Conner, passed away peacefully on Aug. 28 after a battle with cancer. Claire was a 22-year resident of La Conner, and was proud to call the community home.

Born in Cheney, Claire grew up in Eastern Washington and went to Western Washington University for a journalism degree. She met her husband, Michael, while working as a journalist in New Jersey, when he helped push her stalled car out of busy traffic. In 2003 they moved to La Conner, where they raised two sons.

Claire spent much of her career in journalism, becoming an authority on a number of technology fields. In her spare time, she wrote and published five books, focusing on war heroes, especially those who found courage in the face of impossible adversity. Her most recent book, The Medic, profiled a prisoner of war who survived World War II in the Pacific.

A particular point of pride for Claire was “In The Valley of Mystic Light,” a portrayal of the Skagit Valley arts scene and the community that she called home.

Claire is survived by her husband Michael, sons Alexander and Kyle, parents Ken and Lee, her dog Sheila, and countless friends and family.

For a blessed group, Claire is known for her steadfast support, constant cheer, and boundless love. In La Conner, where she taught a writing class for years, Claire is best known as someone who encouraged and helped others to document their stories.

Now, we feel her hand helping guide our pen, as we begin to write the first chapter of her legacy.

A viewing for Claire will be hosted at Kern Funeral Home in Mount Vernon 2-5 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 4. Her funeral will be at 4 p.m. Friday, Sept. 12 at Pleasant Ridge Cemetery, Mount Vernon.