Dr. Dwight Oran Swaback

Dr. Dwight Oran Swaback January 22, 1938 - June 5, 2022 Dwight Swaback was born January 22, 1938, in Chicago, Illinois, the son of Reverend Oran and Esther (Hallbom) Swaback, and departed June 5, 2022. As a pastor’s son, Dwight lived in many places in his early years, finishing out his education experience at Trinity College and University of Illinois in Chicago. It was there that he met and married Jacqueline Phillips. While Dwight completed his psychiatric residency at the University of Colorado, they welcomed their first born, Käthe. Dwight joined the Air Force and the family was stationed in Tachikawa, Japan where they made life-long friends and also added Kimi Sue to the family. Recruited by UC Davis in 1972, Dwight came to Sacramento and went on to serve the Sacramento community with the South Area Community Mental Health Service and the Central California Psychiatric Society. In 1979, he went into private practice for many years, until 2016 when retirement finally stuck (it was the sixth time). In 2017, UC Davis Health received a generous gift that established the Robert H. Putnam Endowed Chair in Bipolar Disorders Research and also the Dwight Swaback M.D. Bipolar Disorders Research Fund. Dwight was honored to be distinguished as a retired Sacramento-area psychiatrist who was “highly respected by Putnam and began his career in partnership with UC Davis.” Dwight greatly admired the cognitive psychiatrist, Dr. David D. Burns, M.D. (“Feeling Good”), physician and author, Dr. Michael Greger (“How Not To Die”), and humorist, Dave Barry who said, “You should not confuse your career with your life.” After a 1995 heart attack and quintuple bypass surgery, Dwight increasingly worked to keep his own mental and physical health strong as a passionate creator, punster, and health advocate. Woodworking, painting, singing, sculpting, trumpet and guitar playing were matched with his love for jogging, racquetball, Fitbit, and choosing Forks Over Knives. Last year he beat his previous jog/walk of 1,067 miles by logging in 1,164 miles. In May 2022, he was very impressed that at age 84 he was able to complete over 300 days of 10,000 or more steps as part of his plant-based and hot sauce diet of vegan living! Dwight had many beloved friends, he loved the Sacramento community, and was happy to be a contributing member for nearly 50 years. He will be greatly missed by his family: “most precious” daughters, Kim and Käthe Swaback (partner Christine Paul and their children Hannah and Daniel); brother Calvin Swaback (wife Mami Masuda and son Taka); sister, Joy Light; nephew, David Swenson (wife Suzanne); nieces Monica (husband Dennis Wallen) and Beth (husband Roger Nelson) and many more beloved cousins and their families. Preceding him in death was his brother, Dale Swaback; his father, Oran Swaback; his mother, Esther Swaback Keating; his sister, Phyllis Swenson; and his ex-wife Jacqueline (Phillips) Swaback. There will be a small, closed family service on Saturday June 11, 2022, at Sierra View Funeral Chapel and Crematory from 12:30-2:00pm. Interested family and friends may also join us live on Zoom by sending an email to receive a link at dwightswabackmemorial@gmail.com (this email is also where you can send any photos or memories of Dwight’s gentle, humorous, and passionate spirit and we will share with on-line link). Remembrances can be made in memory of Dr. Dwight Swaback to Run to Feed the Hungry, My Sister’s House, or to the UC Davis Foundation in support of the Dwight Swaback M.D. Bipolar Disorders Research Fund, mailed to: UC Davis Advancement Services, 202 Cousteau Pl, Ste 185, Davis, CA 95618.