Swenson, Nancy Tiernan Nancy Tiernan Swenson passed away peacefully on March 8, 2012 at her home in Dallas surrounded by her loving family. Nancy was born December 2, 1924, to Martin F. Tiernan and Purcell Carroll Tiernan. She spent her childhood in Essex Fells, NJ with her three older brothers, Marty, Wally and Billy, and her younger sister, Mary Tiernan Mc-Shane. Nancy’s parents and her siblings predeceased her. Nancy attended the Kimberly Academy in Montclair, NJ in the late 1930’s and was inducted into the Montclair-Kimberly Athletic Hall of Fame in May 2005. She graduated from the Masters School in Dobbs Ferry, NY in 1942. She attended Connecticut College for Women before marrying the love of her life, Bruce Swenson of Montclair, on December 30, 1944. After 66 years of marriage Bruce predeceased Nancy on July 6, 2011. When first married, Nancy and Bruce lived in Montclair before moving to Stamford, Texas in 1948 and eventually settling in Dallas in 1951. They raised six children all of whom are living. It was in Texas that Nancy’s athletic prowess, particularly in tennis, became pronounced. Over the years she played in many tennis tournaments. She held top sectional national rankings in the 40, 45, 50 and 55 years and over divisions in women’s singles and doubles. She was ranked number 1 in Texas five times. Her top national singles ranking was second in the 55 and overs in 1981. She and her long-time doubles partner, Nancy Penson of Dallas, were ranked in the top five in the country five times. Nancy Swenson was inducted into the Texas Tennis Hall of Fame in November 2003. Nancy was also an avid golfer. She won the Dallas Country Club’s Women’s Golf Championship a total of 5 times. In 1967 she won both the golf and tennis championships at the Dallas Country Club, and remains the only person to hold both titles in the same year. One of’ Nancy’s great joys in life was the time she enjoyed in Bay Head, NJ. Nancy and Bruce spent parts of 55 summers there and the Swenson house was a warm place for large, often raucous gatherings of friends and families. In 1998 Nancy was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. Since then she spent much of her time combating its symptoms with great resolve and without complaint. She became involved with The Voice Project, a foundation dedicated to helping Parkinson’s patients preserve their ability to speak. She received great enjoyment from her work with the Voice Project, appearing in several of its “Loud Crowd” plays. In 2010 the foundation awarded Nancy its annual Proud-to-be Loud Award for ‘extraordinary courage, perseverance and determination.” Nancy always saw the positives in life, was enthusiastically on the go until the very end. She was an accomplished piano player and was learning new tunes the week before she entered the hospital. She had a strong Catholic faith that sustained her in life and comforted us all in her final days. Nancy is survived by her six children and their families; including 11 grandchildren, 4 great grandchildren, as well as numerous nieces and nephews. Her children and their families are: Bruce (Smokey) Swenson and his wife, Lindsley, of Dallas, and their children Tiernan Cavanna and Tiernan’s husband Kieran Cavanna, and Harris Swenson and his wife Lauren. Tiernan and Kieran are the parents of three of Nancy’s great-grandchildren while Harris and Lauren are the parents of the fourth; Stephen Swenson and his wife, Carla, of Dallas; Christopher Swenson and his wife, Emily, of Montclair, NJ, and their children, Billy, Mike and Lisa; Merritt Swenson, of San Antonio and her sons, Swen, Jamie and Peter McCulloch; Carroll Swenson-Roberts and her husband, Truett Roberts of Dallas, and their daughter, Sara Roberts; Nancy E. Swenson, of Dallas, and her daughters Allison and Hayley Caldwell. Nancy was a beloved mother, grandmother, great grandmother and great friend to so many people. Her companionship, cheerfulness, graceful determination, full love of life and love for us will be greatly missed. A funeral mass will be performed St Joseph’s Church in Richardson, Texas on Wednesday, March 14th at 2PM. In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to the Parkinson Voice Project, 500 N. Coit Rd Suite 2085, Richardson, Tx 75080