The Rev. Jon E. Swenson, 68

The Rev. Jon E. Swenson, 68, of Garnet Valley, a United Methodist minister who worked with recovering addicts after he retired, died of cardiac arrest Wednesday, July 14, at Crozer-Chester Medical Center.

Born in Chester, Mr. Swenson graduated from Chester High School in 1959 and earned a bachelor's degree at The King's College in Briarcliff Manor, N.Y., in 1963.

Mr. Swenson earned his bachelor of divinity degree at Eastern Baptist Theological Seminary in 1966, the year of his ordination.

After serving as a student pastor at Mariner's Bethel Memorial United Methodist Church in Collingdale from 1964 to 1966, he spent his career in parishes in Bucks and Delaware Counties as well as Philadelphia.

He was pastor from 1966 to 1968 at Wissahickon Methodist Church in Philadelphia and from 1968 to 1978 at the Fairmount Parish, which was a ministry to three congregations.

Mr. Swenson's two longest pastorates were at Cornwells United Methodist Church in Bensalem, Bucks County, from 1978 to 1993, and at Bethlehem United Methodist Church in Thornton, Delaware County, from 1993 to 2007.

In 2007, he retired from the Southeastern Conference of the United Methodist Church and became a member of Trainer United Methodist Church, his childhood church.

In retirement, he worked at CityTeam Ministries in Chester, where he already had volunteered for 10 years.

At the ministry's alcohol and drug rehab program, he led a discipleship program for men, his wife, Lois, said. "Some of them never had a dad, or a good one," she said, so "those men loved him."

And as church planting coordinator for the Ministries, she said, he would go house-to-house to encourage folks to start a home Bible-study group.

Besides his wife of 45 years, Mr. Swenson is survived by a son, Jon C.; daughters Erica Elliott and Leah Arter; a brother; and four grandchildren.

A visitation was set from 1 to 3 p.m. Wednesday, July 21, at Covenant Fellowship Church, 1 Fellowship Dr., Glen Mills, with a 3 p.m. funeral service there. Fellowship is to follow from 5 to 7 p.m.