Michael Keith Swanson, age 44, of Zumbrota, MN, passed away on Saturday, October 16, 2010 at Fairview University Hospital in Minneapolis after a lengthy illness.

He was born the son of Merle and Belva (Gasser) Swanson on January 23, 1966 in Rochester, MN. Mike attended grade school and graduated from high school in Zumbrota in 1984, playing on the football, basketball and baseball teams. He continued to play football in college. In 1989 Mike earned his degree in geological engineering from South Dakota School of Mines and Technology in Rapid City, SD. He worked as an environmental engineer for IT Corp in Cincinnati, OH and Monroeville, PA.

Mike’s passion was spending time in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area. An all around outdoorsman, he enjoyed camping, skiing, biking, fishing and hunting. On June 5, 1995, he married Donna Rohaus in Grand Marais, MN. Together, they owned and operated a dog agility training school. They won many awards with the dogs they trained; Mike particularly enjoyed competing with his Border Collie, Halo.

Mike is survived by his parents, Merle and Belva Swanson of Zumbrota; sister, Pam (Bill) Benert of Stillwater; nephews, Joseph, Robert & David and niece, Ashley; extended family and friends.

A memorial service will be held at his parents’ home in Zumbrota on Saturday, November 6th. Pastor Daren Flinck of St. Croix Valley United Methodist Church in Lakeland will officiate. The O’Connell Family Funeral Home & Countryside Crematory assisted the family.