Classes & Obits

Robert Lee Schwiesow ’66

Issue

January-February 2026

Robert Lee Schwiesow ’66 passed away on March 11, 2025, at Life Care Center in Port Townsend, Washington, his home for 50 years. Bob had a singular vision of how to live a good life. Born in Honduras and raised in Salem, Oregon, after Dartmouth Bob earned a master’s in social work at the University of Washington. During his 57-year marriage to acclaimed artist Anne Hirondelle, Bob assisted for years with kiln firings of her ceramic art. After moving to Port Townsend in 1976 and turning a fixer-upper into a welcoming home with studio and out-buildings, Bob found work that let him pursue wide-ranging interests. For decades he was a part-time driver for Johnson & Gunstone Shellfish company. That left him time for leisure pursuits and time to assist friends and acquaintances with whatever they needed, from moving printing presses to chauffeuring people into Seattle for recurring medical treatments. Bob was known and beloved for his easy-going manner, quick wit, and ready willingness to lend a hand when someone needed help. An avid reader, Bob was a fount of knowledge, from the practical to the obscure and fascinating. Full of irrepressible energy, he was in constant motion most of his life: bicycling, sailing, hiking, playing tennis, and walking. He is survived by his wife, brothers Gale (and wife Susann) and Franz (and wife Sandy Marie), nephew Todd, and sisters-in-law Carolyn and Joy.

 

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