William "Bill" Swenson

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William Allan Swenson (92) of River Heights, Utah, passed away peacefully in Logan, Utah on October 31, 2025. Bill, as he was better known, was born to Allan Bickmore Swenson and Elaine Beckstead Swenson on October 10, 1933, in Nibley, Utah, though his life and career would take him across the country and the rest of the world.

Growing up in Nibley, Bill would develop a love for the outdoors and learn the value of hard work. As a teenager, life would change for the better when a mutual friend introduced Bill to a young lady named Betsy Murray at the Logan Swimming Pool. During the school year, Bill had the courage to ask her if he could walk her home from a school dance at South Cache High School and their romance began. Bill graduated as class president in 1951 and eventually presented Betsy with an engagement ring on the night of her own graduation in May of 1953. Bill and Betsy would be sealed for time and all eternity on April 30, 1954, in the Logan Temple. He would shortly thereafter complete his education as an Aggie, graduating and completing the ROTC program at Utah State University in 1955.

Bill entered into an honorable career as a pilot in the United States Air Force in July of 1956, flying the F-86 Sabre, B-47 Bomber, and C-130 Hercules. He also flew the T-38 Talon as a Pilot Trainer Instructor and would finish his Air Force career as a Missile Launch Officer in March of 1977. The Air Force would send Bill and his family across the country, including the following Air Force Bases: Williams AFB in Arizona; Mountain Home AFB in Idaho; Columbus AFB in Mississippi; and Malmstrom AFB in Montana to name just a few. His service as a pilot would lead him into some of the greatest conflicts of Cold War America. He served as a Forward Air Controller over the Demilitarized Zone between North and South Korea in 1963 and flew missions in Vietnam between 1971-1973.

Bill had a passion for the wilderness and spent many days backpacking, hunting, and fishing with his sons across the Mountain West and Alaska. Later in life, Bill would continue a love for travel by exploring all over the United States and dozens of other countries from Argentina to Australia, and the fjords of Norway to the wild plains of the Serengeti. He had many adventurous stories both from his career and his personal journeys that would captivate his three children, thirteen grandchildren, and twenty-seven great-grandchildren.

Bill will be remembered as a devoted husband, a loving father, and a diligent worker. He understood the value in carefully maintaining what life had given you and was constantly improving his home through handyman projects, fixing things in the garage, and tending to the rose bushes in his backyard. He is survived by his brothers, Mike Swenson and Jerry Swenson, and his three children and their spouses: Larry Allan Swenson (Karren), William Scott Swenson (Michelle), and Shari Jean Cooper (Rex).

Memorial services will be held in Bill’s honor on Friday, November 14, at Allen-Hall Mortuary (34 E. Center Street, Logan, UT) with a viewing period from 10:30-11:30 a.m. and funeral service to be held at noon at the same location.

Memories and condolences may be shared and expressed at www.allenmortuaries.com.