Celebrate Life: Theresa Marie Maxian Swan – May 7, 1917 — April 13, 2024

Teri was very active in the Morgan Hill community

Theresa Marie Maxian Swan died Saturday, April 13, 2024, at the Valley Pines Assisted Living home in Morgan Hill, at the age of 106, just three weeks shy of her 107th birthday.

Teri was born in 1917 in the town of Hallstead, PA to Stephen and Lizzie Maxian, and was raised on a nearby farm in Brackney, PA. When she was 20 she traveled to Binghamton, NY, where she met and married Harold Swan. She worked as a draftswoman during WWII, after which she and Hal, who was employed at IBM, moved with their two children to a dairy farm in South Apalachin, NY. They had two more children while in New York and in 1967 they  moved to Morgan Hill, where she remained the rest of her life.

Teri was very active in the Morgan Hill community. She volunteered for the Red Cross’s blood drives for years, as well as delivering Meals on Wheels. She was an avid golfer and a member of the Gilroy Golf Club. Teri also played golf at various courses and in a variety of tournaments and was a frequent scorer at PGA and LPGA tournaments in Northern California. She always said she had especially good times scoring for Fuzzy Zoeller and Lee Trevino.

Teri was a Bronze Life Master bridge player and liked playing party bridge with many of her friends. She joined others on theme cruises playing bridge and golf. She loved traveling, especially on cruises. She went on tours in Ireland and England where she loved the people and local historical sights. One cruise went to Cabo San Lucas in Mexico. During a taxi ride there, the driver pointed out where his abuela (grandmother) had lived. She was enthralled by the stories he told.

Teri was enthusiastic about her physical health and participated in an aerobics class three times a week. On Fridays, she and the other participants met for coffee at a local donut shop, and she became good friends with all of them. In addition to aerobics, she walked and hiked often. In her 80th year she hiked up El Toro, and on another occasion she and several others walked across the Golden Gate Bridge and had lunch in Sausalito.

When it was time for Teri to renew her California driver’s license at the age of 100, the DMV made her pass every test they could think of to keep her off the roads.  It wasn’t until 103 that she gave up her car and license.

Teri was predeceased by her husband, Hal, in 1993 and by her eldest child, Judith, in 1988.  She is survived by her three remaining children: Dale in North Carolina; Linda in Guerneville; and Jeffrey in Morgan Hill. She also leaves eight grandchildren, two great-grandchildren, and a great-great-grandchild.

There will be a Celebration of Life gathering scheduled for 2 to 3:30 p.m. Friday, June 21, in the El Toro Room at the Morgan Hill Community and Cultural Center. In lieu of flowers, please donate to a charity of your choice.