GILFORD ----- Rev. Dr. Richard Swan, 78, of Wesley Way, passed away at his home on Saturday, February 27, 2021.
The Rev. Dr. Richard Swan was a United Methodist Pastor for 50 years serving in a variety of capacities within the New England Conference.
Richard was a graduate of the State University in Salem, MA; and holds both a Masters and Doctoral degree from Boston University School of Theology. He served as Adjunct Faculty at both Boston University School of Theology and Harvard Divinity School in the area of Pastoral Psychology and Pastoral Leadership. He served as an approved Field Work Supervisor at both BU STH and Harvard Divinity School. His work in the Ethics of Death was one of the earliest presented in that field.
He served churches in Lynn, MA, Newburyport, MA, Woburn, MA, Medford, MA, Saco, ME, and South Portland, ME. He served in Special Appointment as Director of the Counseling Center in Woburn, MA. Following retirement, he served the Weirs Church in Laconia, NH, and served two separate stints as Chaplain at LRGH. He continued to work with the Pastoral Staff at First Church in Gilford after his retirement.
During his Ministry, Dr. Swan also served as a founder and President of The Woburn Council of Social Concerns, as a Trustee of Choate-Simms Hospital in Woburn, as a Police Chaplain in both Woburn, MA, and South Portland, ME, as a consultant to area hospitals in New England, and as a Fire Chaplain in Newburyport, MA. During his time in Maine, Dr. Swan served as Treasurer and on the Board of Directors of the Maine Council of Churches. He was President of the Board of Trustees of The New England Conference. Dr. Swan also served as a member of the Board of Directors of the United Methodist Retirement Center in South Providence, RI, and led the fund drive to construct a nursing facility at the Retirement Center.
Dr. Swan has been one of the primary leaders in the United Methodist Church’s efforts to open its doors to all persons regardless of race, sexuality, or marital status both regionally and nationally. His Doctoral Thesis presented a program for inclusiveness to Single (Divorced or Widowed) persons in the Life of the Church. He was awarded The Outstanding Citizen Award in both Woburn and Medford, MA for his work to provide equal opportunity on behalf of the elderly and minorities in those settings. He holds advanced training in Urban Ministry from The Urban Institute in Sheffield, UK.
He leaves behind his wife of 30 years, Cindi Swan, and his daughter Susan E. Swan of Woburn, MA, along with two grandchildren; Taylor E. Swan and Matthew R. Swan, his brother James R. Swan, Newport, NH, and sister Lisa Surette, of Wilmington, MA. He was predeceased by his son Scott Swan in 1993.
Funeral Services will be held at 1:00 p.m., Saturday, May 28, 2022, at the First United Methodist Church of Gilford.
Burial will take place Thursday June, 2, 2022, at 12:00pm at Forest Glade Cemetery, Wakefield, MA.
Wilkinson-Beane-Simoneau-Paquette Funeral Home & Cremation Services and 603Cremations.com, 164 Pleasant St., Laconia, NH, 03246, is assisting the family with arrangements. For more information and to view an online memorial, please visit www.wilkinsonbeane.com.
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