Obituary: Swartout, Dave Tigger Ericson
Dave was born on December 27, 1960 in Moses Lake, WA.
Survivors include life partner Chris Kent; parents Kay and Ernie Swartout, Ephrata, WA; brother Mike Swartout and family, Portland, OR; and cousin Dan Kulick, Richland, WA.
Dave was a graduate of Ephrata High School and Gonzaga University.
He earned an M.A.
in Conflict Resolution from the University of Hawaii.
In 1985, he and his family organized the first nationwide PFLAG Conference.
That conference was held in Ephrata, WA and was attended by people from across the United States.
In the 1990s, Dave was an early activist in Hands Off Washington, and he also served for many years as the Executive Director of Outreach to Rural Youth-Washington.
Dave was a talented artist who also enjoyed gardening and travel.
He was a vibrant, gentle, irreverent man whose energy, compassion, and enthusiasm for life will be sorely missed.
A celebration of Dave’s life will be held at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Spokane, W. 4340 Fort Wright Drive, at 3:00 p.m. on Friday, January 25th.