Robert “Bob” Swanson passed away on November 25, 2021. He is survived by his daughters, Victoria Bosnar of Las Vegas, NV and Cathy Mallet of Austin, TX, his much-loved sons-in-law Joe Bosnar and Eric Mallet, and grandchildren Julien and
Claire Mallet.
Bob was born in Chicago on September 16, 1932 to Edwin and Geraldine Swanson. He attended the University of Notre Dame, where he received his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in English, and was active in the campus radio and television stations. He married the love of his life, Arlette, in 1962 in the Log Chapel at Notre Dame. Their European honeymoon was the first of their many travels. Bob and Arlette spent the early years of their marriage in Chicago, where their daughters were born.
Bob and Arlette always dreamed big, and a highlight of their early married life was quitting the “rat race” to devote a year to traveling throughout Europe, the US, and Mexico with their two young children. On this trip, they visited and fell in love with Santa Barbara, where they moved in 1972.
Bob worked for many years as a Realtor, with a sideline doing fixer-uppers. He always believed that with hard work and a positive outlook, no undertaking was too daunting. Deciding to try his hand at television writing, he borrowed a book on screenwriting from the Santa Barbara library, wrote several “spec” scripts, and was soon making a living as a television writer. He wrote episodes for many popular police and mystery series, including Kojak, Starsky and Hutch, Ellery Queen, and MacMillan and Wife. In the early 1980s his friend and colleague Peter Fischer invited Bob to join the staff of a new series: Murder, She Wrote. Bob had a long tenure with Murder, She Wrote, as a writer, story editor, and producer.
Bob and Arlette traveled widely, enjoyed cruises to Hawaii, the Caribbean, and the Mediterranean, and maintained a flat in London for 20 years. Bob took his last London trip at the age of 89, just a month before his passing.
Bob’s beloved Arlette passed away in 2018. Bob was fortunate to have a wide circle of wonderful friends who supported him in his grief and made sure he maintained a thriving and happy social life. His family visited frequently.
Bob was a true Renaissance man: a talented painter and sculptor, a lover of classical music and opera, a political news junkie, a lifelong learner, and a voracious reader – his particular favorite was Montaigne. Bob was an avid tennis player and made many lasting friendships on the court. He played regularly all his adult life, and was out on his home court hitting his daily regimen of 200 balls just days before he died. He passed peacefully on Thanksgiving day, with his daughters and sons-in-law by his side.
A celebration of Bob’s life will be held at a later date.
