O'NEIL D. SWANSON

O'NEIL D. SWANSON of Detroit, MI died March 27, 2020 at the age of 86. He attended Cincinnati College of Mortuary Science, graduating cum laude in 1956, and subsequently passing the National Conference of Funeral Services Examiners Board. Two years later, Swanson founded Swanson Funeral Homes, Inc. in Detroit. He was a former trustee of the National Foundation of Funeral Service, past treasurer of Michigan Selected Funeral Directors Association and board member of the Detroit and National Funeral Directors and Morticians Associations, where he previously served as District Governor of the 4th District of the NFD&MA, Inc. Co-founder of ROAD – a group of distinguished leaders in the funeral industry which recently celebrated 37 years of leadership excellence, Dr. Swanson was recently recognized as a 2020 Living Legend by the 100 Black Women of Funeral Service Hall of Fame. His over 60 years of leadership at the funeral home was marked by their high-profile funerals as well as their philanthropy and community focus.