James “Jim” Chris Swanson, Sr., 66, of Sebring, FL, formerly of Pleasant Prairie, WI, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, September 30, 2014, at Tampa General Hospital surrounded by his loving family. Born on October 19, 1947, in Kenosha, he was the son of the late Lawrence and Irene (Sorenson) Swanson. He served in the United States Marines from 1966 until 1970 when he was honorably discharged. He completed two Tours in Vietnam. On August 22, 1970, he married his high school sweetheart, Gayle Viola at St. Mark’s Catholic Church. They were together for over 50 years. Jim had various careers throughout his life, ranging from truck driving for L & F Cartage, to realtor with Badger, Stanich and Sucevich Realty Companies, to owning his own restaurant, Angelina’s with his wife. Most of his career was spent as a Medical Device Assembler. He began his career with Snap on Medical, later Berre Medical and he retired from Bradshaw Medical. He was a graduate of Gateway and also taught truck driving there. Jim enjoyed spending time with his family, especially his grandson, Tyler. He was an avid Green Bay Packer and Milwaukee Brewers fan. He loved fixing up houses. There wasn’t anything that he couldn’t do. He did it all, electrical, carpentry, plumbing, drywall etc. He was a hard worker and greatly appreciated the feeling of accomplishment when he finished a project. He was always there to lend a hand. If you were his friend, you were his friend forever. He loved to give to others. He is survived by his loving wife, Gayle; his daughter Kelly Swanson; his grandson Tyler James Swanson, all of Sebring, FL; his daughter-in-law, Angela Swanson; two sisters: Marcia (Dick) Shaffer and Virginia (Roger) Nelson; one brother, Jerald (Judy) Swanson; three brothers-in-law, Darrell (Kathy) Viola, Randy (Kathy) Viola and Dan (Terri) Viola; two sisters-in-law, Linda (Keith Johnson) Buchholz and Barbara (Thomas) Josephs. He is further survived by many loving family and friends. Jim was preceded in death by his parents, his son, James “Jimmy” Swanson, Jr., who he missed dearly, on June 29, 2007, and his in-laws, Dante and Angela Viola. A memorial service will be held on Thursday, October 9th, at St. Mary’s Catholic Church at 10:00 a.m. Interment will follow at All Saints Mausoleum with Full Military Honors. Visitation will be held on Wednesday, October 8th, at Proko Funeral Home from 4:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m.Proko Funeral Home & Crematory5111-60th StreetKenosha, WI 53144Phone: (262) 654-3533Visit Jim’s Online Memorial Book at:www.prokofuneralhome.com