Swannee Pearson

Swannee Pearson On January 6, 2013, Swannee Pearson, an extraordinary woman, passed away at the age of 35 after a prolonged battle with cancer. She was born on October 9, 1977, in Cottage Grove, Oregon, to Tom and Swannee Herrmann. Her family settled in La Grande, Oregon, where Swannee grew up with her siblings Amanda, Sarah, Seth, Catherine, Matt and Elizabeth. She loved her role as oldest sister and cousin dearly and was always incredibly close with her family. She attended Eastern Oregon University in La Grande, Oregon, where she received her BS in Music, and Washington State University, where she received her MA in Violin Performance and her teaching certification. Swannee was an accomplished violinist and pianist who performed in every community she lived in, most recently in the Olympia Symphony Orchestra. Shortly after graduating from WSU, Swannee accepted a position with the North Thurston Public Schools as orchestra teacher at Timberline High School and other community schools. She later created the orchestra program at Aspire Middle School. In 2005, Swannee began dating, and married her husband Brent Pearson. Along with Daniel, Brent’s son from his previous marriage, Swannee was mother to Caleb Anthony (born in 2007) and Esther Joy Pearson (born in 2010). While she found fulfillment in all aspects of her life, it was her role as mother which always brought her the most joy. Swannee had a strong faith in God and attended Grace Community Covenant Church. She is survived by her parents, siblings, children, and husband. She will always be remembered for the enthusiasm she had for life, the kindness and love she had for others, and will be terribly missed by all who knew her. A memorial for Swannee will be held on Saturday, January 19, in the Timberline High School gymnasium at 10:00 a.m. A reception with light refreshments will be held afterwards in the Commons. Instead of flowers, the family will be accepting donations at the reception. Please leave memories of Swannee or condolences for her family in the Guestbook below.