Reverend Allan H. Swan passed away peacefully in his sleep at the age of 95 on March 19, 2025. He was born in Ridgewood, New Jersey on October 29, 1929, the day of the infamous stock market crash. He took great amusement in telling people about this fact of his life.
He had a lively wit, keen intelligence and deep care for those in his life and beyond. His life’s work as a pastor for the Presbyterian Church fulfilled him for all of his working life. He worked as a Pastor and Interim Pastor for nine churches—pursuing his interest in stewarding new church development. His first assignment as pastor in 1954 was to serve two small churches in the mountains of Colorado—Nederland and Valmont Presbyterian Churches. The drive between the two churches in those days was perilous on good days, treacherous on bad with narrow roads and hairpin turns. To make it to Valmont on time from Nederland, Allan had to drive at breakneck speed from one church to the other. As Bill Burke wrote in a tribute to Allan, the congregation used to stand on the front steps of the church. When they saw a cloud of dust rising up from the road, that was their cue to ring the bell knowing that he was about to arrive in his Ford station wagon.
In 1958, Allan married Janet Louise Peterson (Jan) whom he met while they were chaperoning a church youth group picnic. During the early part of their marriage, Allan served as pastor at Westminster United Presbyterian Church in Fort Collins from 1963-1970. Then in 1970, they packed up the house and their four children and headed west to Stockton, California to shepherd Lincoln Presbyterian Church for ten years.
During his time at Lincoln Presbyterian Church, he received a Doctorate in Ministry from San Francisco Theological Seminary in 1975. His education prior to that was a B.A. in 1951 from Lafayette College and an M.Div from Princeton Theological Seminary in 1954.
After his time in Stockton, he continued his interest in new church development by taking a placement at Covenant Presbyterian Church in Boise, Idaho from 1981-1990. Always seeking intellectual and professional challenges, he pursued interests in conflict resolution and the relationship between Mormons and Presbyterians, publishing three papers entitled, “Coping with Conflict”, “Presbyterians and Mormons: A Study in Contrasts” and “Joseph Smith: Meet John Calvin”.
He finished his career working as an interim pastor at Whitworth Presbyterian Church and Millwood Presbyterian Church in Spokane and First Presbyterian Church in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho which enabled him to experience new towns and congregations, have more opportunities to travel and spend time with his family. He and Jan eventually retired in Oak Harbor, Washington. Their spiritual life was enhanced by their time at both the Oak Harbor Lutheran and Presbyterian churches. Sadly, in 2008 Jan passed away after 49 years of marriage.
Allan remained very active in the Oak Harbor community, volunteering for Meals on Wheels, the Oak Harbor Senior Center, teaching adult Sunday school classes and Bible studies. One of his favorites was“Munchy Monday”, a weekly after school outreach event for high school students.
He will be remembered with much love and fondness by many including his four children, Jennifer Swan Moyer, David Swan (Sandra Canepa-Swan), Kim Swan Sosky (JR Sosky) and Rebecca Vahle (Michael Vahle) along with seven grandchildren, Katie and Nicolas Moyer, Hannah and Jacob Swan, Brianna, Alex and Joe Vahle and one great-grandchild, Zurie Vahle Farquhar. A celebration of his life will take place at Oak Harbor Lutheran Church on Sunday, July 6th. In lieu of flowers, donations to Oak Harbor’s Meals onWheels would be appreciated.
