John Robert "Bob" Swanson, Sr., 88, of Concord, formerly of Milton, died Sunday, January 31, 2016 at his Concord home. He was the beloved husband for 29 years of Maureen (Joyce) Swanson and husband of the late Jeannette (Dion) Swanson. Born in Boston on July 11, 1927 he was the son of the late A. John and Florence (Anderson) Swanson. He attended Milton public schools, graduated in 1943 from Milton High School at the age of 16. During World War II, he joined the Navy with parental consent at the age of 16. He served in the Asiatic-Pacific Theatre as a Signalman Third Class aboard the USS William P. McArthur and the USS Robert L. Wilson. As a signalman, he once survived a typhoon while strapped to the ship's mast off the coast of Japan. He received a Bachelor Degree from Boston University and received a Master's degree in Psychology from Fitchburg State College. For many years, prior to his retirement, Mr. Swanson was a loyal servant of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Department of Youth Services. During his tenure, he worked as the Principal of the Industrial School for Boys in Shirley, was an advocate for juvenile delinquents and worked in the placement of children in foster homes. During the summer months from 1964 until 1973, he was a Camp Director, known as "Mr. Bob," at Camp Thoreau in Concord. He was well known for sharing his Native American stories and helping the children build teepees. A Concord resident since 1963, he was a Communicant, choir member and lector at the former Our Lady Help of Christians Church in West Concord and most recently Holy Family Parish in Concord where he was also a choir member and lector. One of his most favorite activities was spending time with his grandchildren. He was an avid volunteer at the Lazarus House in Lawrence where he served dinners and organized clothing drives. He was a member of the Warners Pond Preservation Committee and a member and participant in activities at the Concord Council on Aging. He enjoyed riding his bicycle around West Concord, bird watching and he dabbled in art. He was an avid fisherman and enjoyed many fishing trips to Seattle, Washington with his late son, Robbie. He was an active skier and up to the age of 85 skied in the White Mountains and Wachusett Mountain as a member of WOTS (Wachusett Old Time Skiers Group.) An avid sports fan, he enjoyed the Red Sox, Bruins, Celtics and Patriots. In addition to his wife, Maureen, he was the loving father of Kathy Flannery and her husband Rick of Westford, loving Grampy of Shelby and Andrea Flannery, both of Westford, and brother of Joan O'Neil and her husband John of Friendship, Maine. He was also the father of the late John Robert "Robbie" Swanson, Jr. He was dearly loved and will be deeply missed by his numerous brothers-in law, sisters-in-law, nieces and nephews. Funeral will be held on Thursday, February 4th from the Dee Funeral Home, 27 Bedford Street, Concord Center at 10 am followed by a funeral Mass in Holy Family Parish, Monument Square, Concord at 11 am. Burial will be in Sleepy Hollow Cemetery, Concord where officers of the U. S. Navy will present military honors. Concord's town flag will fly at half-staff on Thursday in recognition of Mr. Swanson's service to his country during World War II. Visiting hours will be held on Wednesday, February 3rd in the Dee Funeral Home from 2 to 4 and 6 to 8 pm. We wish to acknowledge the wonderful team at Mass General Hospital who cared for Bob Swanson and to support advances in Leukemia and Lymphoma research. In lieu of flowers, gifts in memory of Bob may be made in support of the Mass General Hospital. Checks may be made out to Massachusetts General Hospital c/o Development Office, Attn: Mary McQuillen, 125 Nashua Street, Suite 540, Boston, MA 02114 or to Multiple Sclerosis Society, Greater New England Chapter, 101A First Ave, #6, Waltham, MA 02451.