It is with great sadness that I report that Andrew Nicholas Swanson died on June 11 in a mountaineering accident on the West Rib of Denali in Alaska.


Andrew graduated magna cum laude, majoring in biology as he prepared for a career in medicine. He rowed heavyweight crew his freshman year before a love of climbing developed in full. Frequently spending his free time climbing and hiking in the White Mountains and the Shawangunks, Andrew became an expert mountaineer. By the time he was a senior he was president of the Dartmouth Mountaineering Club. His love of climbing and passion for adventures led him across the United States and to South America, including to Peru and Bolivia, on climbing trips and mountaineering expeditions with classmates.


After Dartmouth Andrew deferred medical school for a year to teach at Burke Mountain Academy. He loved teaching and the commitment to helping others was a unifying theme in his life. Andrew had a remarkable dedication to bettering those around him, from high school students to young physicians to mountaineers in danger. Many a friend learned the joys of rock climbing from watching and listening as Andrew patiently explained the use of ropes and other safety equipment and the art of route choice. On Andrew’s first expedition to Denali in 2000 he was awarded the Denali Pro Award for aiding a party of climbers in danger, an honor recognizing the highest standards in the sport for safety, self-sufficiency and assisting fellow mountaineers.


Andrew attended medical school at the University of Chicago, followed by a residency in orthopedic surgery at the prestigious Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City. He subsequently joined his father and brother in practice at the orthopedic and fracture clinic in Mankato, Minnesota, where he was known to go out of his way for patients and co-workers alike. Looking to enrich the lives of those who were less fortunate, Andrew regularly traveled to Ghana to volunteer his time as a surgeon, performing operations on children with severe spinal deformities. His work improved the lives of these children immeasurably.


For all his love of adventure and commitment to being a physician, Andrew was at his core a dedicated son, brother, uncle and friend. Whether it was annual holiday and summer retreats with family, weekends catching up with friends or regular reunions with college classmates Andrew stayed in contact. He became a pilot in part to help him more easily connect with those he loved. When he did gather with others he would always cook. His college specialties included bananas flambé and cherries jubilee. Never afraid of a big fire in a small space he illuminated many a Dartmouth dormitory kitchen as the flaming rum burned off, with the lights out, his tall shadow illuminating the wall as he shook the pan in smiling delight. He lived by one of his favorite sayings, “Go Big!”


Andrew is survived by his parents, Dr. Gene and Eydie Swanson of North Mankato; siblings Molly Britt of Newport Beach, California, Dr. Kyle Swanson of Mankato and Heidi Avedisian of Winnetka, Illinois; brothers-in-law Tim Britt and Vann Avedisian; and adoring nieces and nephews Eliza, Nick, Carter and Lily Britt and Brooke, Luke and Avery Avedisian. 


(Thank you to Doug Marple, Scott Porter, Doug White and Andrew’s sister Heidi for writing this memorial column.)


—Alex (Morgan) Mareiniss, 100 Lancefield Road, Baltimore, MD 21209; alexmareiniss@yahoo.com