James Ralph Swaisgood

Jim Swaisgood passed away suddenly in his home June 14, 2024. He was eighty-seven.

 Born in Santa Monica, California to Thelma and Ralph on November 16, 1936. Jim had an older sister, Shirley, and he grew up in Southern California with aunts, uncles and cousins close by. Covina High was where his love of sports began, he played football and ran track. He graduated in 1954, earning a scholarship to higher education. He eventually moved to Golden, Colorado, the School of Mines to be exact, and quickly fell in with the engineering crowd. He played football for the Orediggers, whom he would stay connected with later in life. He graduated in 1959 and soon met Nancy. They would marry, open an office for Dames & Moore, and have their only daughter. Jim married three times, but his longest relationship of over 25 years was with Bette, yet they did not marry. They would split their time between Colorado and Arizona until Bette passed in 2014.

 Jim lived overseas various times, and through his work eventually travelled to every continent in the world. With over 60 years of wide-ranging geological engineering and civil engineering experience, he was known to his colleagues for his generosity with his extensive knowledge, as well as his time. He was still working, bags packed for a project in Mongolia when he passed.

 An avid fan of mountains and the outdoors, Jim would return to his beloved Rocky Mountains various times throughout his life. His love of fishing and camping began at an early age in Southern California and would be a long-running theme he shared with friends and family. His love of books would lead him to the Tucson Book Festival and a yearly trek to Tucson to share with friends and families- his computer eternally had a working calendar of visitors for the yearly springtime retreat.

 Family was important to Jim, oftentimes coordinating a visit to see granddaughters (2), cousins, nephew, daughter, or sister into his itinerary for a work trip. Jim had an appetite for multiple cuisines fed by his travels and would share with family. He was known for his barbequing skills- multiple times found out in the snow tending to his grilled vegetables (way before most other people were doing it!).

A fortune cookie quote posted on his refrigerator sums him up best to his daughter “Minds are like parachutes. They only function when they are open.” He had an open mind, a generous heart, humility, and quick wit that made him a pleasure to be around, always a welcoming host. A gentleman to the end, Jim will be missed.