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~
More About
Peer Swan ~
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by
Nancy Swan |
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The
San Joaquin Wildlife Sanctuary
Peer's favorite place to rejuvenate
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Orange
Coast College
Student Body President
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I
knew when I married Peer that my life would never be dull.
I met him as a student at Orange Coast College where he
was the student body president. We married in 1969. He
was a helicopter pilot for the Army and flew in Vietnam.
Like a young Don Quixote, Peer left his hometown in Massachusetts
at 18 looking for adventure and a fair maiden to rescue.
I'm glad I became his "Dulcinea" thirty-seven
years ago, although I confess I've felt a bit more like
Sancho Panza following him around the countryside than
any Dulcinea. However, my life has been full of adventures
that I never would have had without him.
As a student of languages, of course I hoped to travel
abroad; but I admired Peer's belief that Americans should
get to know their own country first, and he led the charge,
showing me and our children every state and almost every
province of Canada over the years in a VW Westfalia (you
can never really appreciate the country from 30,000 feet). |
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One
of our first marathon trips came shortly after he finished
graduate school. He decided to (gasp) quit his job, give
up our apartment, and put everything we owned in storage
so he could live a bit of his dream. We traveled around
the country for three months with a two year old boy and
a five month old dynamo daughter who didn't believe in
sleep.
Peer, my modern Don Quixote, viewed the country with his
mind on its future everywhere we traveled, as much as
for how it was in the present. He would invite strangers
to sit with us in restaurants and he talked to people
everywhere. "How are things where you live? What
kinds of problems are you having? and What are you doing
to fix it? Is it working? |
Driving Across the Country |
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The
Capitol Building
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He
was gathering information and understanding. We met wonderful
people all over the country who were willing to share
their ideas with us. He was always thinking, "How
could he make things better?" Peer is a kind of artist
himself, and he saw he country with a creative eye. He
has painted it in his mind a thousand times. It has brought
the whole family to public service, elections, volunteerism,
fundraising, and all around community involvement. |
1974
Trip Around the USA |
| Peer
saw the position of director of the Irvine Ranch Water
District was now open to a publicly elected representative
and the rest is history. The first year he was elected,
I received flowers addressed to the Monday night widow,
(the night of its regularly scheduled public meeting).
It failed to mention the Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday,
Friday, and believe it or not, Saturday and Sunday he
gave to the job in his spare time! He was fortunate enough
to have a full time position at Pacific Scientific which
encouraged community involvement and was immune to political
pressures. |
| He
eats, sleeps, and drinks 'water' and the challenge of
making government work efficiently for a change. He has
now been a Director on the Irvine Ranch Water District
for twenty-seven years and I think there is no doubt that
Irvine Water District has benefited from his leadership. |
1978
First Race
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Tilting
at Windmills |
I
learned a long time ago that Peer is willing to speak
out on the things he believes in — even if he's
a lone voice in a sea of opposing opinion. I think to
myself, "Oh dear, don't say that here," and
try to make myself invisible.
Many times I have seen him take on a controversial issue
and almost always, to my amazement, there is a whole group
of silent people who were waiting for someone else to
speak up first. Relieved, they now have a spokesperson,
they chime in after him enthusiastically. In my opinion,
that is the definition of a true leader.
Though he professes to enjoy a good joust with a "windmill"
occasionally, he makes friends as often as not. With a
gift for seeing farther down the road and around more
corners than most, he is usually right on target. |
1982
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Doing
what he believes to be the "right" thing for
the greater good, even if it makes his own life more difficult,
he has a well defined work ethic; and whether you agree
with him or not, he always knows the "why" for
his own actions. No one ever has to wonder if he is getting
a tailored version of the truth, when asked he will give
a straight forward and honest response.
His education, experience in finance, and head for numbers
helps him guide government to make public policy decisions
based on good business sense. More than willing to listen
to any opposition, he can be persuaded to change his mind
on a topic when a good argument is put forward that speaks
to the issues and has the facts and numbers to back it
up.
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Actual
Windmill, rescued by Peer,
has become IRWD landmark |
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