Swanson, Charles

Swanson, Charles "Chip"

Born: March 13, 1962,

in Durban, South Africa

Died: August 25, 2023,

in Montpelier, Vermont

Beloved husband, father, brother, and friend, Charles "Chip" Swanson died unexpectedly on August 25, 2023. He was born on March 13, 1962, to Maynard William Swanson and Miriam Hamm Swanson. He graduated from South Kent School (South Kent, CT) in 1980 and earned a BA at Miami University (Oxford, OH) in 1985. He married Suzanne Roach, also a Miami alum, in August 1985.

Chip was a gifted athlete, earning awards at the NH state swim meets as a child and later in football, ice hockey, and lacrosse for South Kent School. He continued to play in club leagues thereafter. Over the years, he taught English and coached sports at Dublin School (Dublin, NH) and Vermont Academy (Saxtons River, VT), and coached kids' ice hockey. But he found his long-term calling in timber framing and woodworking. In 1989, he founded Berry Hill Timber Frames where he pursued what he called "that magic aesthetic found in a successful marriage of form and function." Chip was an excellent craftsman and a sculpture artist.

Chip loved wandering the woods on his farm enjoying the peacefulness and beauty. He was an excellent marksman and enjoyed responsible hunting. As an avid reader, he fed his intellectual curiosity about history and how things work. He was famous for his long discussions on topics he loved.

Chip loved his family above all else and is survived by his wife, Suzanne Swanson; his children, Hannah (Andy Calder) and Alex (Annie Arcoleo); and his siblings, Diana (Carolyn Law) Swanson and Scott (Pia Zaslowe) Swanson. He was preceded in death by his parents.

Memorial donations in Chip's name may be made to the Vermont Land Trust https://vlt.org/

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